Peach Flower
by Chaos herself
Summary: During a time when Shinobi clans are at war a Shinobi village is founded on the ideals of a charismatic man. But this is not a story about him. This is about the Kunoichi who made it possible: the battle-bred warrior Touka Senju and the healing lady Mito Uzumaki. United by the same goal, they lead a double life and found a secret organisation to protect what is dear to them.
1. Feet in the Fire

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hey there!_

 _This is a huge project that has been started in 2014 together with my dear writing buddy BlackMajjicDuchess. Originally we wanted to co-author with her supplying Mito-chapters and me writing Touka's side. However, things happened and ultimately we were both preoccupied with our original works (they are published now! :D)._  
 _A recent dream reminded me of this project, and, with my friend's consent, I'm going to finish what we set in motion back then._  
 _So here is Touka's side of the story. Enjoy!_

 _Chaos_

...

 **Chapter 1: Feet in the Fire**

In the distance of night the winds were quietly howling and echoing the familiar lonely tune of another dawning war. Beetween the stark shadowy trunks of the horizon swallowing treeline the breeze billowed out in a thousand ghastly murmurs of long lost souls in the leaves.

Even if the night was so deceptively calm and quiet you could hear your own breath Touka Senju wouldn't be fooled. 'Danger', the black forest whispered to her like a prayer, 'stay alert...'

She knew war was coming, war was always coming.

And the place they had decided to settle camp for good was nothing but a deathtrap. It was good and securable for another night or two, maybe even a week, but everything beyond was utter suicidal madness. _Madness_.

The solid cliff of rock would make sure no enemy would ever come at them that way, there was enough space for their squadrons and the trek of civillians, the soil was rich and a continuous water supply was ensured, alright; but at the same time the cliff would cut off their only retraction route once the armies marched in from among the traitorous trees, which surrounded every other entrance to the vast clearing and were hiding their camp as much as they were concealing approaching foes.

If they stayed here in the middle of the woods with their backs pressed hard to the rocks they would be literally sitting ducks waiting for, nay, inviting the bullseye with arms wide open.

Touka preferred endless plaines, plateaus and hilltops where you could see the horizon stretching on and on for miles and miles in three hundred and sixty degrees; and you would _know_ someone was coming hours and days ahead. No one would be able to sneak up on you and cut your throats and rape the corpses of your slaughtered parents and burn your grandparents and slit your baby brothers' and sisters' little tummies in their beds so easily there.

In the last wars Touka, the seasoned warrior, had seen it happen; and she was aware it would happen again during the wars to come.

However, her battle experienced advice fell on merry Hashirama-sama's deaf ears. And neither his brother nor his wife were able to change their clan chief's mind.

* * *

Touka's lips were sealed in a firm line as she stood watchfully by her campfire and stared into the shadows of the trees even though she was not on guard duty tonight; she couldn't sleep yet, anyways. The flames were peacefully cackling and dancing in waves of heat and feasting on the logs and twigs she ocassionally fed to them; at least they wouldn't die of hunger so easily here.

Suddenly a presence appeared next to her; a big gauntlet gloved hand spread firm to the skin of her belly where the special Hiraishin seal was hidden beneath well used battle armour. She was not surprised that Tobirama would come find her; ever since they were young and he planted his secret seal around her navel so he could easily detect and teleport to her whenever needed he would sometimes show up out of thin air just like this. So she simply let her scrutinizing gaze wander over his stern features and solemn crimson eyes.

"Who died?" she asked after a brief silence; her face stayed impassive like the calm sea within her chest but she gripped her spear tighter.

He shook his head, let go and flopped down on the trunk she used both as seating and fodder for her campfire. "No one, fortunately," Tobirama finally rumbled between gritted teeth while he stared into the flames, "but it was a close call."

Touka waited patiently and sat down not far beside him.

"Nii-san and Madara Uchiha made peace today," he offered quietly after a while. She arched a brow and glanced at his hard profile half-lit with dancing orange and yellow shadows.

"Surely you don't believe that. The Uchiha can't be trusted," she deadpanned.

Peace was a lie told to little kids to shoo away the boogeyman; peace just didn't exist.

Tobirama sighed and rubbed his face with his fingertips, then clenched his hands to fists. "Of course not," he glowered, "But _Hashirama_ believes in this peace, believes in this village, believes in Madara fucking Uchiha. He is much too trusting and much too stubborn for his own good, anyways; he wants it to happen so bad that even that cunning bastard Madara seemed impressed..."

He sighed again, slid from the trunk to the ground closer to the fire so he could lean his tired back against the wood and chafe his feet under the flames; his untamed silvergrey mane almost grazed her leg guard.

"Do you want me to kill Madara then?" Touka suggested quietly; her sharp eyes kept observing his countenance for any indication of his true aim. At least, she would die trying to fulfil this deed if he wished her to...

But Tobirama shook his head again, crimson gaze lost in fire. "If you succeeded...everything Nii-san had been working for would shatter to naught and nothing along with his heart; I don't want that." He chucked a little twig into the flames and they hungrily devoured it with a fizzling sound leaving nothing but ashes.

"But I don't want to lose my brother either. Not again. So...I can't do anything but wait and keep a close watch on both, Nii-san and the Uchiha," Tobirama concluded and opened his fists palm up; just in time for Touka to place three tufts of tiny rose-coloured blossoms on a single stem thereupon.

"Flowers again?" He blinked in surprise. "Really, Touka...you're one of the fiercest warriors I know; without blinking twice you scare the living shit out of hard-boiled men with your abilities and I can't even recall the last time I saw your petite body clad in anything other than battle armour," he snorted, "and yet you come around the corner with these delicate women things like flowers...what's it this time?"

Touka waited quietly, impassively and let him twirl the stem between his fingers, smell the distinct fragrance and remember the lessons of their youth. "Valeriana?" Tobirama finally deduced and frowned. "I don't need this to calm down and help me sleep; I don't want my senses dulled."

"That's its use, Tobirama-dono, but not its meaning," she stated simply. He let out a quiet grumble, closed his eyes and this time his smooth shock of hair did brush her leg guard.

Reciprocal silence settled comfortably between them so they let the crackling and spitting fire talk its scorching tale of acheing wood, sizzling sparks and floating ghosts of ashes instead. The shadows of night had become murkier but here and there a couple of campfires like hers were still fighting the darkness like watchful beacons of sustainability. At least, the forest would shield their light from enemy eyes a bit longer instead of drawing them straight in...

No reason to let down her guard, though.

* * *

"I would stay around Hashirama day and night just to make sure he's safe..." Tobirama broke the silence after a good twenty minutes; his voice was quiet and hoarse like the smoke wafting from the flames. "Altough I left him with Mito-chan tonight; trust she can keep him secure and distracted..." His deep sigh made her look at him instead of the treeline and he stared right back.

"I just couldn't bear being so close to Nii-san tonight...not after I almost lost him to himself", he confided in Touka, who listened without restraints or betraying her feelings. She knew he wouldn't voice what his fierce eyes demanded of her so she simply offered instead: "You can rest at my campfire all night if you want, Tobirama-dono; I'll keep watch for you."

He grunted and slouched his body even more between Touka, trunk and fire so his feet were almost touching the tamely licking flames; she heard the appreciating undertone though.

So she leaned in until her face hovered above his; her dark inscrutable eyes bore into his crimson gaze as if she indended to capture him in one of her Gen-Jutsus. Before he could open his mouth and his big hands could come up to either pull her in or push her away Touka's lips curled into a little mischievous smile and she swiftly produced another three flowers into his field of vision. "You're welcome."

Tobirama huffed and rolled his eyes. "Cunning woman."

But he grabbed the stems and considered them while Touka retreated back to her upright watchful poise. "These I know; you always attach them to your messages", he murmured and bobbed the young flexible twig with light pink five-leaved blossoms between his thumb and index finger. "Peach flowers...like 'Touka', right?"

"Yes, that's what they are," she confirmed but imparted nothing more. Touka observed he was aware that he missed something or that he didn't want to acknowledge what was implied; it didn't matter if he understood or not, anyways. It wouldn't change a thing.

Next he viewed the other two white blossoms; and even though there was some recognition showing in his eyes Touka quietly provided: "Iris and Chrysanthemum."

When Tobirama eyed her as if he didn't know what to make of her gift, or the shrewd woman beside him for that matter, Touka gave him a look as crafty as a cartload of monkeys and stood. "Would you like some herb tea, Tobirama-dono?"

Without waiting for his reply she briefly retreated to her tent and prepared the infusion mixing even a bit of valeriana essence into the blend of fresh mint, camomile, fennel and aniseed, which he accepted with a grateful grunt and slowly downed the hot liquid under her apprehensive glance. She figured Tobirama could use a thorough rest after an eventful day like this, after all.

Touka intended to stand guard for another while either way when the whispering woods wouldn't let her sleep; and when he was there seeking company and solace at her campfire she would, anyways. Could as well make it an all-nighter...

Besides, the devil never slept.


	2. Hunting Season

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hi!_

 _This is chapter two already. In case you wonder why you don't remember Kanoko, you can't; she's an OC. And there will be a few more in future chapters. As the Founders Era has so many plotholes, I hope you'll forgive me and don't find them annoying._

 _Anyway, have fun reading!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 2: Hunting Season**

The suicidal insanity continued once Hashirama-sama happily started herding more and more people into the forest and erecting their humongous wooden crypt on their army campsite among the trees. Even Tobirama and that Uchiha joined in when it became apparent that the clan chief couldn't be stopped; and also his wife spured him on.

Touka observed the proceedings silently as if she was only a detached bystander to her own death march.

Briefly she wondered whether Hashirama-sama was a one-in-a-million genius for inviting all of their enemies with open arms so they were simply blinded by his cheery personality to walk right into the riven jaws of the waiting beast... or whether he was a bloody fool for not noticing that all the timbers and trunks building the foundation for 'the Village Hidden Under the Leaves' caged neatly by wooden bars of trees and trees and even more trees were the finest delicacy to the Uchiha's favourite Katon.

This... village was destined to burn in the black eternal infernoes of Amaterasu!

No wonder the nefarious Madara was one of the party and tagging along almost tamely.

But Touka wouldn't be caught napping; she wouldn't let that heinous fire-breather out of sight so easily. From the vantage point of the cliff the seasoned Kunoichi kept close watch on the avowed enemy's every move like a soaring hawk ready to nosedive and claw at its prey...up there on the rocks she was the banshee perched on the gravestone, that had Madara's name engraved to it, screaming his name and waiting to claim his soul.

Moreover, Tobirama was guarding his brother and sister-in-law, too; she was sure he always had his Suiton at the ready in case the Uchiha so much as blinked.

The other clans couldn't be neglected either. Most of them Touka had encountered during gruelling battles, already; they had stood face to face between the mud and blood and bones and flesh and dirt of war staring each other straight in the white of the eye while they hacked and slashed at each other in a mad frenzy where each fight was far beyond the use of Jutsu and techniques and all about naked survival and raw killing.

Now they were all assembled here; and even more were coming to this bizarre gathering day by day. Touka was suspicious of each and every one of them.

'Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer', they said.

Was this really what her clan chief intended? She doubted it. But it was happening none the less and she decided to abide by that rule, stay patient and observe. Touka would surely see soon who avered themselves trustworthy and who were the real traitors...

Until then no one would be given the benefit of doubt, not when it was her duty to ensure Hashirama-sama's and Tobirama-dono's safety. And Touka was not known to be a merciful judge and executioner.

* * *

When she finally hopped down from her look-out it was already late afternoon and she hadn't had lunch yet. So Touka decided to see what this forest of death had to offer to a hungry warrior-mouth and went for the treeline.

Maybe a juicy slab of roasted foe with a side dish of minced traitor would be according to her tastes today, she mused mischievously while she palmed her spear and Kunai.

However, once she entered the undergrowth she grew more serious and sharpened her senses for the hunt. The warning whispering of the leaves faded into the background and the Kunoichi trained her ears on the distinct sounds of forest-fauna: calling, traipsing, skulking, chewing, breathing...

Soon her sharp eyes detected spoors of a prey big enough to sate her hunger for blood; and she pursued it silently, cautiously, through the thicket. Touka didn't make use of her Chakra much; it would be a waste of valuable energies she might not do without if she was ambushed by inmical scouts and sentries. Besides, it would spoil all the fun of the venery. She did conceal her presence, though.

And suddenly there they were.

Touka crouched low, held her breath and peered through the bushes at the grazing animals. Their leaves whispered encouragingly that the wind was on her side and she was close enough to actually sense them; so she readied her spear, chose her aim and waited for the perfect moment to go in for the killing.

There...

Her arm shot forward accellerating her weapon in a perfectly calculated straight line for the bullseye... but it never left her grasp, her movement froze in midair and the doe trotted away unharmed much to the huntress's chagrin.

"Ah...these deer are our associates. Pardon me, but it would be very inconvenient for my clan if you had them for supper, Mylady. Could you please lower your weapon...yeah, that's it; no trouble for anyone and no harm done," a sedate voice interposed from the sidelines while Touka slowly stood and her hand fell deliberately to her femoral guard. At the same time a ponytailed girl, approximately half Touka's age, showed herself and the Kunoichi glared impassively at the younger one.

The deer didn't run despite the commotion but reared their heads and twitched their ears back and forth curiously.

"You must be from the Senju clan, Mylady," the lanky girl concluded in a torpid drawl that betrayed the sharpness of her dark eyes, which reminded Touka so much of her own. This bold brat was bright as the summer sun. "My name is Kanoko Nara and I believe our clans are now federated. Nice to meet you."

The two females mirrored a polite bow until the Nara girl receded her shadow and flashed her senior a cautious, but trusting, lazy smile. Touka on the other hand kept her face blank, straightened her back and considered the teenager.

Not the first time she had killed even younger kids...and she had been a younger kid even when she had killed for the first time.

"Touka Senju," she finally offered unafraid to disclose her name and narrowed her eyes a fraction. She smelled blood, fresh blood.

Kanoko nodded and tugged at the strap of her bulking deerskin satchel. "I'm hunting, too," she stated in her drippy drawl, "but only pheasants and hares..."

Touka only arched a brow; she had figured her out by now but she patiently waited for it like a panther stalking its prey. Let the Nara fawn fawn on her for a bit and see if it's any good.

"I'm actually not so bad at baiting," the girl continued and her shrewd bedroom eyes observed Touka's every reaction; the seasoned Kunoichi wouldn't deign her with any rewarding facial expression, though. "So...if you're not troubled I'd be honoured to accompany you and be of assistance to Mylady?"

And there it was...just as expected.

"What's your body count then, Nara-kun?" Touka indulged her with her austere demand.

Instantly the teenager straightened her languid poise at her military tone, wetted her lips with a flick of her tongue and answered: "Seven out of seven pheasants, nine out of nine hares, five out of five crayfishes and twelve out of thirteen mackerel in two days."

Fair aim, Touka thought but her face betrayed nothing. Lots of Kunoichi and Shinobi had fair aim, though; otherwise they were dead, simple as that.

"And your real body count?" she probed instead.

The girl visibly deflated; shadows grew on the pale skin of her suddenly cast down eyes like haunting ghosts. "Th-...three," she almost meekly admitted in a tiny voice, "but I had help from my friends."

Without another word Touka gripped her spear, turned on her heel and strode further into the thicket.

"Come on, Kunoichi...let's go hunting some fresh meat!" she grinned ferally when she didn't hear the younger one follow right on cue; but soon the smaller steps fell in stride right behind her.

* * *

When Touka returned to her quarters a good two hours later she might not have culled a traitor like she had hoped but a bag full of hare was not so bad either. She could dry or cure the meat she wouldn't eat today and stock up for war times.

The Nara Kunoichi had proven her word true, that she had to concede to her. It had been a lot more efficient to cull the prey when the girl knew where to find them, ensnared them with her shadow and Touka only had to chuck a Kunai through their heart or snap their frail necks between her fingers.

Together they had obtained enough bag to survive at least two weeks of trenches each. Provided that the enemy didn't get their heads, of course.

She didn't care that Kanoko always jerked and winced because she could feel every impact on their target through the shadow connection. She didn't care either that the girl was burning through her Chakra resources too fast the longer Touka had the prey on the hook before the kill; but it was a useful thing to know about the Nara lot.

Expertly Touka drove her Kunai into the soft flesh, sliced down from neck to scut and skinned the hare in one swift motion before she eviscreated the animal, flopped it aside on the worktop and pulled out the next long-ears to repeat the procedure.

The slick motions were almost like a gory meditation.

Pierce, slice, skin, paunch, shove, pull. And again. Pierce, slice, skin-...

"I don't want to be in Madara's shoes right now...or any other of your enemies' for that matter," a low voice murmured into her ear and she felt a familiar hand cover her belly. Touka did not stop her routine to wait for him to distance himself from her; and so he lingered on for another moment and peered curiously over her shoulders without caring if he bothered her or not, knowing that he didn't.

"You always look more like the goddess of blood and splatter than a cook when you potter about the stove," Tobirama commented humorously and stepped back to lean comfortably on the worktop so he could see her stoic face.

"That's because I belong on the battlefield," Touka replied calmly and looked at him without ceasing her work and aware that she probably looked more like a demon sprinkled with blood all over, "and someway or other I do have to keep my skills sharp, don't you think?"

He snorted and shook his head, mirth brimming in his crimson eyes. "And here I thought I would rather find you whetting your blades on your foes..."

"The Uchiha you mean?" she inquired flatly and shot him a pointed glance, "or one of the other rats the curious cat's dragged in?"

"About that..." Tobirama continued more seriously after a second of hesitation, "Touka, I might need you to keep a closer eye on them while I'm busy with infrastructure. Nii-san is so serious about this whole village business and he's merrily carrying everybody along; but if I don't fish or cut bait now the whole mess is going to get out of hand..."

Touka laid down the Kunai beside the half-disemboweled hare and planted her fists on her hip. "Honestly, Tobirama-dono, it already got out of hand the moment Hashirama-sama lay down with the fire-breather...and now he's rounding our every enemy up for the grand battle royale in this forest of death; I'll make sure I'm ready when it's time. What about you?" she stated evenly as if she was reading from the bloodline scroll.

"I hope you're wrong on this, Touka, I really do..." he sighed deeply, rested his warm hand on her shoulder and squeezed comradely. In turn Touka produced two flowers seemingly out of thin air and handed them to Tobirama.

"Where do you always get these from?" he wondered briefly but accepted the iris and the corn flower without question.

"Oh, Tobirama-dono. Don't you ever underestimate the wondrous ways of Kunoichi..." she winked at him, picked up her Kunai and swung it as if it was a wand, which made him chuckle and shake his head.

"You're really something else," Tobirama opined. "Apropos of nothing, what have you mischievous little woman been up to all day? Haven't seen you at your look-out since-...noon, was it?" He eyed her curiously.

"Well..." Touka twirled her Kunai around her fingers. "I've been playing hunt with the little fawn I met in the woods," she said and dove her blade into the opened body of the hare to cut out its intestines.


	3. A Taste of Blood

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hi, there!_

 _I hope you enjoy the holiday as much as I do._  
 _I'm glad you found your way here again. So this is chapter three. Let's make it a little more interesting and toss another important character in the mix, shall we?_  
 _Have fun reading!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 3: A Taste of Blood**

The young snake pit was still lively and the venomous vermin were busily slithering and gliding around and about each other like a grotesque living and breathing Gordian knot, that likely sunk all of its fangs viciously into your hand if you tried to cut it. Touka listened to the tidal hum and hiss of its increasingly growing number of inhabitants for any indication of a bite fight and studied their behaviour Argus-eyedly; so far nothing out of the ordinary had happened but the tension was undoubtedly rising with every serpent added to the tangle.

Even after Hashirama-sama and his wife had embarked on their journey to Kami-knows-where the trek of suspicious people didn't cease. Needless to say, she didn't like it one bit.

"Coming in..."

Touka narrowed her eyes and watched closer. The mother of all snakes still hadn't reared its ugly head yet...

"Senju-sama...? Hopefully, I'm not troubling you. What are you doing?" a meekly sedate voice permeated her quarters for a second time. So the curious little fawn had returned; interesting.

"Preparing for war," Touka replied not even tearing her eyes away from her target of interest to greet the Nara girl, "always preparing for war..."

"In here?" Kanoko wondered and let her deceptively sleepy gaze wander while she cautiously approached her worktop. "Shouldn't you go outside and...train instead? Practise your Jutsus some more or something?" she drawled and finally tried to peer over Touka's shoulder.

"A Kunoichi needs to be versatile at the art of war," she retorted calmly while her scrutinizing eyes considered the seething mass. Reaching into a covered basket Touka's gauntlet gloved hands emerged with a dark bluish-gray, orange-striped little snake with an equally orange head and a curiously flickering tongue and yellow eyes.

"Let's see what happens when we add this little spitfire to the toxic mix... or did you want to go hunting hares again, Nara-kun?" She shushed at the rarity and cautiously let it glide between her fingers until she slowly lowered it into the globular terrarium teeming with coiling and writhing serpents.

As expected the fawn recoiled a halfstep, her eyes briefly darting to and fro between the finally stirring venomous snakes in the bowl and the skinned and disemboweled malkin hung up all glassy-eyed at the entrance to exsanguinate and sun-dry.

"Well?" Touka finally put a heavy wooden lid on the terrarium, spun around and locked on the teenager as if she was her next target. "Or do you smarty-pants have another idea how to entertain a bored warrior?" she smirked shrewdly.

By the way bedroom eyes widened a fraction like a deer caught in headlights Touka observed her appearance caused just the reaction she intended to elicit in the young Kunoichi. But there was more than respectful fright flashing through the dark depths, she noted, too.

"Everyone else is talking about this truce...and peace," the girl visibly considered the word on her tongue rolling it around in her mouth like too sweet candy drops. "But you're preparing for war, Senju-sama." Touka nodded briefly. "War against whom exactly?"

She aproached the teenager with one swift gliding move towering the lanky fawn even if they were almost the same height already. "The enemies of my clan and clan chief, obviously," she susurrated in a deathly tone and let her Chakra flicker just that menacing bit.

Touka watched how Kanoko's tiny addam's apple bobbed up and down in her slender throat and how cold sweat beaded up in the pale shadows of her neck and brow; but the girl stood rooted to the ground and didn't re-establish the appropriate personal distance. Neither did she avert her gaze nor connect their shadows despite Touka being toe to toe to her purview. "What about the enemies of your allies, Senju-sama?" the Nara whispered tentatively.

The seasoned warrior arched a brow lips curling into a small wicked grin. Now they were talking business! "Go on," she beckoned calmly.

A little shift in the girl's poise told Touka fright was receding slowly and being taken over by brain-powered confidence and working gears. "You can fight and win troublesome battles on your own, Senju-sama," the Kunoichi drawled, paused, took a deliberate breath and continued with more boldness, "but you can't win a war all alone. The Naras are the Senjus' allies now... I...am your ally, Senju-sama. So let's do this together; let me assist you again. And learn."

Touka could practically hear Kanoko's excited heartbeat thrumming while she let the silence stretch on impassively until she could almost see the unease creep back into the girl. "Your body count is three, you claimed. And you had help," she stated sternly. The girl finally averted her eyes and her shoulders sagged.

She reached out her hand, palm up, and made a nearer waving gesture. "Your weapons, Kunoichi. Hand them to me," she demanded and the teenager hesitatingly obliged stripping herself of all defences against the older warrior; Touka briefly considered the cautious trust implied by these actions.

Inspecting the blades she twirled them between her fingers, tested their sharpness, balance, angle of sharpening and noted on the signs of usage. Blunt. Then again, almost every blade was blunt compared to how Touka liked to keep hers...

But the weaponry was treated with due diligence and handled with care; they told the tale of mostly long-ranged squabbles and bouts and Touka remembered the Nara clan's preferences in combat style.

She tossed the blades back into their owner's hands on her way out. "Alright, Nara-kun. Let's work on that body count of yours,'comrade'," she said with a smirk and the girl followed suit, probably secretly questioning what she got herself into by getting involved with Touka.

* * *

The little workout with the fawn had been refreshing and just about right for Touka to get all warmed up and ready for some real bloodshed.

Kanoko was more agile and flexible when it came to evasive skills than she let on, which Touka had already expected, her clan specific Nin-Jutsu was fairly decent and her mind was just as sharp as Touka's blades, which the seasoned warrior also had surmised; but the young Kunoichi was definitely lacking in Tai-Jutsu, overall stamina and Chakra reserves. She had been out like a light thrice during the whole session, once due to a Gen-Jutsu and twice because of the merciless drill Touka applied without really breaking a sweat herself.

But Touka had never been known to treat anyone with kid gloves...

Probably she wouldn't get any more visits from the kid this week because she was beat already into next one; and after that she would see if the fawn still had the guts to want to 'play together'. However, she suspected the Nara lot to be ceverer than to betray the Senju and bring certain extinction upon their house; and Touka had made sure to engrave that notion into the shrewd girl's mind and body for good so the point was driven home til far into the Nara clan chief's bedroom!

Shortly word would get out to the Akimichi and Yamanaka, too, Touka was certain. But she would personally probe their trustworthiness soon enough. No need to haste, even if this village was built in one day.

Striding through the village on her self-imposed patrol she put out her senses for anything that might cause a ruckus so she could vent her pent up energy usefully and eliminate a potential or actual threat at one go while Hashirama-sama and his wife were away and Tobirama-dono busy with infrastructure and administrative issues.

The snake pit had started to simmer with lazy hisses, literal tongue-lashing and ocassional gaping jaws with venom dripping fangs; but once the temperature was rising there undoubtedly would be more action...

Touka's gaze fell on black and red blocking her patrol route like a pharos to an impasse; arms crossed and feet apart he stood tall as a rock in his blazing red battle armour facing her way. Her eyes narrowed dangerously at the sight of the root of all evil, Madara Uchiha.

The man seemed to be standing there as if he was waiting for something, someone... her?

But what for? Touka continued walking straight towards him but slowed her pace, her face inscrutably blank except for her cold eyes; he didn't budge one bit and neither did he blink but faced her right on. Could the devil be sensing her bloodlust, her desire for a life and death battle? Well, she was ready... she was always ready to fight for her clan.

"You don't seem to agree with Hashirama's utopian philosophy of 'one village - one world' and some such..." the Uchiha spoke levelly, subtly tempting her to undermine the truce. 'I know what you're doing,' went unsaid.

Touka stopped on the border of purview of her spear. "It's my clan chief's wish so I will follow his directive regardless of what I personally opine on the matter," she shot back to match his undercurrent and watched him like a hawk. This Kunoichi certainly wouldn't be caught napping, especially if she was facing the Uchiha.

One corner of his mouth quirked upwards in a grim lopsided grin. "But you don't believe in this 'peace'," Madara stated the obvious; his voice was ever so slightly beckoning an ambush. "Otherwise you wouldn't be marching about as if this village was on the brink of war. I understand; I'm suspicious, too..." 'Come. Let's end this farce here and now,' she read between the lines, 'Hashirama is not there to stop us; neither is his brother at the moment.'

Her eyes hardened even more; her fingertips itched for familiar steel to be thrust deeply into Uchiha flesh. But Touka restrained herself and betrayed nothing but a cold stare.

He nodded slightly, just the faintest inclination of his head, as if she had actually said something. "Hashirama does, though," he quietly considered and his bloodred eyes finally trailed over the growing village as if he was attempting to count his foes. "He gathers so many different people from so many formerly feuding clans and forces them to work and live together, forces longtime enemies to face each other day after day after day over bread and butter and mutter a 'good morning' and 'please' and 'thank you' as if the past didn't happen at all... But those few kind words taste but like cold ashes in your mouth, dead and hollow and devoid of blood, don't they?"

Madara turned his gaze back on Touka and it seemed to have intensified all of a sudden as if he could pierce her and see past her mask of countenance. She wanted to scream and hurl her Kunai at him to stab and rip his bloody eyes out of their sockets. Yet she dutifully remained where she was; Hashirama-sama wouldn't approve and Tobirama wanted to appease and indulge his brother.

"You feel it, too, don't you? This...wrongness." His words were but a whisper but they seemed to ricochet and bounce back from every wall and stone and tree; they strung her chords harder than she wanted to acknowledge and she forbade her very soul to hum in applause and sympathy.

He sighed. "And yet I pray this vapid dream may linger on for a while longer. So I may watch how Hashirama's quixotic ideas all pan out...and the Uchiha remain 'peacefully' in this village."

"We'll see," Touka gritted out acidly, forced herself to turn a corner and continue her patrol away from the alluring temptation of combat and bloodshed. She would find a way to get rid of the imminent threat to her clan in due time...she would!

"We'll see," Madara echoed solemly behind her back and leisurely strutted off a different path.

* * *

Before Touka returned home to finally unwind and study the snake pit some more she shortly stopped by the future school to check on Tobirama's progress and left some geranium, corn poppy and peach blossoms at a prominent place on his lonesome desk, where she was sure he would find it sooner or later.


	4. Black Sun

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hey there!_

 _I'm back with another chapter. And withut further ado I leave you to it._

 _Enjyo and have fun reading!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 4: Black Sun**

The heat was unmeasurably scorching so close to the roaring flames of the raging black sun; Touka was sweating just from the mere presence of the tamed inferno and her net-undershirt clung to her as if it was about to melt into her flesh. She gritted her teeth and wound up. Seeing Amaterasu up close, nay, feeling its blaze on her pale skin and her hot breath burning in her lungs the Kunoichi had to admit she could understand why the Uchiha prayed to the sungoddess.

At least she had been able to peel Madara off his battle armour and weapons so he was down to his bared torso and Mangekyo Sharingan only. It had been a gamble to plunge right into the heart of evil but Touka rather did it here than close to her quarters...and it was definitely worth it. Her hammer came down as hard as she could; although she had to be extra careful.

Above the howling noise of angry flames a loud metallic clank, clank, clank was ringing repeatedly through the whole Uchiha district. White hot sparks were spraying on contact.

She huffed and lowered the heavy hammer to the ground for a second; the heat was draining her energies faster and she felt the strain in her arms already. Her gaze flickered over to Madara and his face, too, was slightly twisted with concentration and rills of sweat while he was controlling Amaterasu and manning both tongs and fan for hours. An angry hiss flared up when glowing white hot metal was dipped into a trough of water and the liquid instantly vapourized to thick clouds of steam.

It was pure luck Touka had got her hands on a lump of Chakra ore; and she just couldn't let the chance slide to forge it into the exquisite blades it deserved to be.

Thus, after quarreling with herself for a good while she had swallowed her pride and hate and had gone to find the right man to provide the necessary degree of hot fire to accomplish the huge feat. Surprisingly, Madara had agreed without further ado and they had got to work shortly.

Maybe he was just as bored with Hashirama-sama gone for weeks and weeks; maybe they both used the same military tactics of keeping the enemy busy while keeping a close eye on them and ruffling their feathers without breaching the truce.

Once the block of hot metal was back on the anvil Touka hefted the sledge-hammer again and wound up; and she had to repeatedly refrain herself from imagining it was Madara's head laying on the anvil and waiting for her to squash it like an overripe watermelon beneath the head of her sledge, though.

It was an extremely tedious and strenuous and taxing procedure to work and fold the material into the thousand times thousand ultrathin layers that traditionally made up the raw blades, which Shinobi and Kunoichi used every day without ever considering how they came to be; they had to be very careful the metal neither got too hot nor too cold nor struck at a wrong angle once or else the whole work was irreversibly ruined.

But the two of them were doing well so far.

Inwardly Touka smirked at the irony of the Uchiha helping blacksmithing the very weapon she intended to execute him with later; it did good to see her archfiend flashing brief signs of exhaustion, too. If he was aware of this he didn't show, and neither did she.

Her continuous hard hammer blows came with an accompanying pant now and rivulets of sweat were running down her spine and cleft between her breasts but Madara was in no better condition holding pliers and campfire-sized Amaterasu steady in place.

"What in Rikudou Sennin's name are you two up to here?"

Like always Tobirama appeared out of the blue even if he wasn't using the tightly bandaged Hiraishin seal on Touka's belly right now. She lowered the sledge-hammer with a relieving 'thud' and stretched her sore arms and back while Madara tightly closed his eyes and shut off the mini-inferno to get a good swig of water from his flask.

"Preparing for war," Touka provided catching her breath and blinked at Tobirama, who gave her disheveled appearance a quick once-over and turned to glare at the likewise half-clad Uchiha for more intel. Madara hadn't commented on the flash of skin beneath her net-undershirt when they both relieved themselves of too many layers of armour to efficiently work under the extreme heat of the black sun; and the Kunoichi didn't care either way.

"Let's continue another time," he stated a bit hoarsely and cleared his throat with another sip. "I'll make sure to keep this pot boiling." Touka nodded curtly at that, dried off her skin with a towel and adjusted her hairtie before slipping her black turtleneck back on and carefully re-dressing her battle armour.

They didn't tell each other 'thanks for the hard work' like they should have when the Kunoichi and Tobirama left the Uchiha district; after their brief talk weeks ago Madara and Touka simply dropped the formalities and mutually forewent appropriate courtesies altogether.

* * *

"What was _that_?" Tobirama demanded to know on their way back to her quarters; for whatever reasons he seemed a bit peeved.

"You asked me to keep a closer eye on the Uchiha, Tobirama-dono," Touka replied impassively and held out a tuft of blue aconite for him to take. He begrudgingly accepted the flower. "It's killing two birds with one stone if I can keep him distracted for hours like this and augment my repertoire," she added contented with her solution.

However, Tobirama only grumbled. "I understand you're going to do it again?" he stated more than asked while he followed Touka into her kitchen and watched her preparing a light snack. She answered nontheless. "Yes. Our business is not finished yet; and it's not the worst way to blow off steam, you know?"

He harrumphed, crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

So Touka continued calmly while nibbling on her Onigiri: "If you weren't so busy with your village administration one-man show right now I might have asked you to help me out here, Tobirama-dono... unfortunately at the moment the Uchiha is likely the only one to be able to give me what I need." Licking a crumb of rice from her lips she cast up her dark scrutinizing eyes at him.

Tobirama made a sour face as if he had bitten into one of the lemons sitting in a neat little gift basket he placed onto the worktop in passing. Another one. "I see," he somberly murmured and turned to leave. "Just be careful not to look too deeply into his Sharingan..."

* * *

Sure enough Kanoko had returned as soon as she was all healed up and back on her feet; Touka had expected no less from her little 'ally'. And after two, three repetitions of their last encounter the fawn demurely dared to bring her friends into her lair.

"Why don't you brats attend the school Tobirama-dono is so kindly organising for young Shinobi and Kunoichi instead of coming here all the time?" Touka suggested coldly when she chucked a primula auricula at the loudmouthed Yamanaka kid; the yellow flower zinged by her nose and the usually rather soft stem stuck to the bark of a tree like a pin. After that the three teenage Kunoichi were agreeably quiet.

Kanoko was the first to gather her courage again and softly reply in her usual sedate slur: "Class hasn't started yet...they can't seem to get the troublesome schedule and teaching material straight anytime soon. And no one has volunteered to teach either."

Touka arched a brow. "Why don't you ask your father or uncle or whoever to do it then? You Nara people are known for your smarts, aren't you?"

"Too troublesome, I guess..." the girl murmured under her breath and rubbed her pale neck.

"I think you would make a good instructor, Senju-sama," the little Akimichi roly-poly found her shy voice and swiftly ducked behind the hill of Touka's leftover Onigiri, which she continuously munched on, as if they could shield her from Touka's piercing glare.

"Oh? So you think it might be a good idea if I get to beat you into a pulp in Tai-Jutsu training or make you my living pincushions during warfare instruction or turn your little brains into a squishy puddle of mush during Gen-Jutsu lessons every day instead of once in a while?" the seasoned Kunoichi smirked mischievously and towered before the three girls and they visibly shrank back.

"Remember last time we four had a little bout? You, Nara-kun, were out like a light and couldn't move even one tiny sore phalanx of your body, you, Akimichi-kun, were puking your gut out until you looked about half your size and you, Yamanaka-kun, were wailing like a little baby for your mommy and I bet you're still recovering from your newly added arachnophobia," she recounted mercilessly and watched how each of them paled a healthy shade of green.

At least the three Kunoichi had shown a decent amount of teamwork; they would make a quite passable squad one day, Touka mused on a side note. And all of them had still returned after this particular experience... Maybe she should probe them further for masochistic tendencies?

At least she had quickly dissuaded them from this delusional idea effectively.

"Alright, girls. I don't care if you're ready but we're going to have another round of 'fun' now!" she proclaimed viciously, which elicited some anticipated agonized groans from the teenage trio.


	5. The Growth

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hey there!_

 _A new month - a new chapter. :)_

 _I hope you like what you're about to read. Enjoy and have fun!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 5: The Growth**

The day was bright and the labyrinthine roads of the village were growing like a tumour; craftspeople were crowding the place and completing Hashirama-sama's work at their own pace while Tobirama was flickering about bellowing directives according to his brother's blueprints in his hands. Sometimes the Uchiha would try to meddle like the cancer cell that he was but Tobirama was apparently having none of it, Touka observed with wicked delight.

Currently the Kunoichi was squatting perched on the cliff where she had an excellent view over the whole malignant melanoma, that some people already began to call 'home'. Touka, obviously, didn't belong to that group; and she more or less secretly had a bunch of other names for it.

Lately Tobirama and Madara bickered a lot, she perceived, but it never exceeded the chokingly narrow limits of verbal war. Maybe it was time Hashirama-sama and his wife returned from their belated 'honeymoon' or whatever... Spring's young buds had grown and the sky of leaves above the village was ablaze in fiery oranges and reds and the wilting leaves were gradually scattering like fallen embers and drops of blood; it's been months since Touka had last seen her clan chief and they still hadn't heard from them yet.

She was not worried that the pair might have been killed by their enemies, though; they would have known! Firstly, Tobirama would have sensed if his brother's Chakra signature had been snuffed out like a candle and secondly, Hashirama Senju was well reknown so word would certainly have got out as soon as a Shinobi of his calibre bit the dust.

It briefly crossed her mind that Hashirama-sama could have herded up all the suspicious people, possible and imminent threats and obvious enemies he could find just so he could dump the task of dealing with them once and for all like some leprosaic limbs on his brother plus reinforcements from the clan... Touka would have liked that quite a bit, especially the 'dealing with' part. However, remembering how much effort and 'heart' Hashirama-sama had poured into this swelling metastasis she came to the conclusion that her clan chief had not abandoned them for good.

Likely they were simply talking up more and more fiends to join the ulcer of evil if the trek of germ carriers was anything to go by. Tobirama had soon installed some kind of registration office at the village gates to keep track of the migrating individuals; the exact number and identities of our foes, Touka translated.

But despite the growth of tension that came with the increase of people crammed into a small area like a village the clans and their entourage behaved almost tamely.

Maybe they still remembered the incident in late summer when the dead body of some no-name hired sword was found artfully exposed on a piazza with a blade protruding from his chest and a neat informative note with the single word 'traitor' attached to it for everyone to see. It was obvious by the state of the mutilated and appropriately treated corpse that the chest wound was not the cause of death since the ugly head was sitting right on top of it, equally pierced by the same sword like a titbit on a skewer and the horrors of interrogation and retaliation painted deeply into his expression.

After that nobody had been dumb enough to try to assassinate Tobirama-dono in his sleep again...

The body had been left there in the open like a monument for three days until Tobirama had it removed before it started to seriously rot and stink; instead he had decided to start a graveyard on the very piazza. Who was responsible for the show remained a rumour and who was behind the hired sword unfortunately never came to light; but suddenly the clans were very busy proclaiming their well-disposed intentions and cleansing their hands of bloody deeds.

Inwardly Touka was both contented and displeased with the feat. Contented because she obviously drove her point home and Tobirama shot her a knowing glance once he discovered her message; displeased because the real traitor was still out there hiding in the open among the crowd.

But she was determined to hunt them down one by one and show them what you got for messing with the Senju!

* * *

The Chakra blade had become a real beauty and Touka was a bit proud of her handiwork; she carefully tended to the weapon whenever she got time to spare, which was not that seldom hence she had alienated herself quite successfully from the tumour cluster and gradually was creating the atmosphere of a silent hatemonger hermit around her quarters. It became familiar to her palm and was well used and charged with her Chakra by now, too.

Making use of the good weather and the fresh air Touka took a polishing cloth and a tightly sealed gourd bottle outside. She unsheathed the black blade and checked it briefly but thoroughly in the sunlight for remaining stains of blood, grease and grime; there weren't many of these because she was always careful to clean her weapons meticulously but a little patina of death was unavoidable.

She liked it when blades told a history, though.

The Kunoichi picked up the polishing cloth and ran it carefully along the length of steel and the Chakra within hummed contentedly with rekognition as she almost gently rubbed it to make ionisation work and chemically roughen the metal. Then she unstopped the gourd bottle and cautiously poured some of its content on both sides of the blade until it was fully coated and shimmering with moisture. Touka nodded to herself, put the bottle down and delicately dabbed with her traditional blade cleaning kit at the weapon so all excess liquid was soaked up.

Likely no one would notice the difference to any other sword until the edge sliced their skin and the point pierced their flesh...but then it would be way too late. She sheathed her special blade again in time to notice a figure approach her refuge swiftly.

It was a girl all dressed in a simple, plain Yukata and her hair was tamed in a tight topknot with unruly skeims sticking out here and there; she didn't seem to belong to the fawn's usual entourage, though, despite approximately belonging with the same agegroup. So she could be either from a minor family or a civillian. Touka lifted the gourd bottle and sealing again while she patiently watched her unbidden 'guest' hasten towards her lair and come to stand before her panting and bowing a more than respectful ninety degree at the waist.

"Senju-sama..." the flushed and sweaty girl rasped without taking her time to catch her breath; neither did she straighten from her deep bow or lift her eyes. "Please, I-...I know you don't like to be bothered but I didn't know... who else to turn to and-...Nara-san recommended you for your war experience and wisdom and discetion, Senju-sama. Please-... teach me about poisons," she gushed between inhalations of huge gulps of air.

Touka blinked, then offered her still unstopped bottle with an impassive expression. "You sure are in a hurry, brat. Aren't you thirsty from the run in the heat?" she chose not to answer this unusual and bold request right away and rather indulge her curiosity.

"Thank you, Senju-sama...so kind..." the girl breathed gratefully, grabbed the gourd from her hands and lifted it to her mouth. Then she suddenly froze, recoiled from the bottle and blanched. "Bitter almond?!" she whispered with eyes wide in horror.

"Cyanide from peach stones, among other less distinctively fragrant or seemingly vapid substances," Touka confirmed with a slight inclination of her head. "I see you already know a thing or two about poisons..."

The girl looked thoroughly shocked and frightened but her tiny mouth clenched in a firm line; there was still some somber determination left in her eyes, some hidden darkness... interesting. "Yes, Senju-sama."

"And from your choice of words I gather this isn't about finding a medic to come up with an antidote," Touka concluded from her observation; her gaze hardened. "What's your name, brat?"

The teenager braced up and finally lifted her eyes to meet Touka's. "Chiyo-...just Chiyo."

The seasoned Kunoichi turned around and walked towards the greenhouse behind her quarters. "Very well, Chiyo-kun. While we harvest a few ingredients for war preparation you may tell me all about the who and why you want to poison people in a village that claims to be so 'peaceful'," she calmly stated noting both the gloom in her small eyes and the blush on the teenager's cheeks when she followed.

While she silently listened to Chiyo's story and prepared for a longer series of experiments Touka briefly ruminated on what Hashirama-sama might think once he came back and learned that his prized community of frienemies was nothing but a congregation of backstabbing traitors, cowardly wannabe-masterminds, rapacious hirable swords, children intent on poison murder and a private army of fire-breathers...

Maybe he would finally be more susceptible to the fact that this ulcer of a village was utterly infested with the fiend and ripe for a clean amputation...or a thorough sweep by the white blood cells that were the Senju. Or both.

Touka needed to talk to Tobirama some more about it first so they might stand a chance against 'His Stubbornness' and convince him at last.

Her nimble fingers found the stems of oleander, venus hair, belladonna, corn poppy and peach blossoms on their own, mercilessly but delicately broke the flowers and efficiently pleached them into a small wreath of vine leaves fastened to the handle of a Kunai; she knew Tobirama would be quite alarmed by such a message and come find her shortly, the Kunoichi mused nefariously amusedly.


	6. A Gift for a Gift

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hey!_

 _I'm back with another chapter. Finally Mito appears, and we get to the poit where the real story starts._

 _Enjoy and have fun reading!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 6: A Gift for a Gift**

For once Touka was briefly smiling to herself and she was aware of it; she was all alone in her quarters so it didn't matter to her if she betrayed a fraction of her feelings right now as she was bent over her new acquirements on her worktop.

Carefully her Kunai penetrated the relenting material of the first exemplar and arched two symmetric cuts, and once she was satisfied with the result she repeated until every one of them beared the same markings and pre-dried them beneath a Chakra-infused heating lantern. In the meantime she ground and blended the necessary powders; and every jar had a differently coloured content matching the ingredients: charcoal, crimson, ivory, dark green, lime green, yellow earth, sienna, goldenrod, orange, light coral, indigo.

The remembrance of one particular evening in late summer gave Touka the idea of what she was doing now; and it suited her needs satisfyingly well.

* * *

Three days prior to the incident Kanoko had invited the older Kunoichi to some kind of festival, which was held by her clan and the Yamanakas and Akimichis. At first Touka had been more than suspicious and wary of such gatherings; they were usually prone to backstabbing schemes and deathtraps. Besides, the warrior was a lone she-wolf, anyways. But loudmouthed Inoko and roly-poly Rinshi had delightedly joined in once they had learned of the Nara brat's bidding and after hours and hours of triple beseeching and imploring Kanoko's arguments had been finally convincing enough to persuade Touka to come for a quick check.

She might find out something about the traitors or she could at least probe the three clans' trustworthiness further, had been her train of thoughts.

So, on the evening of the festival Touka had tentatively but dauntlessly entered the Nara territory of the village and stepped into a whole new world, it had seemed. The place was decorated with garlands of flowers and paper lanterns, merry chatter and music filled the air, kids were playing and laughing in the streets, young and old strolling and frolicking to and fro the wooden drinking booths, food stands and artisans' stalls. She didn't see anyone carrying weaponry or armory around but wearing hand-made pinwheels, colourful Yukatas, affectionately painted No-masks pushed up their fronts and friendly smiles.

Being there had felt so...unreal and foreign.

And yet these people had seemed to be at ease, had seemed so used to such happenings, she had observed with alienated curiosity never showing on her face. Touka had felt out of place dressed in her full battle gear; but Kanoko, Inoko and Rinshi had greeted her happily and showed her around as if she had been clad in the same feminine silken Yukata and decorum as they had.

At least she had not been the only one to be failing the apparent dress code of defenselessness. For she had managed to drag Tobirama along on her endeavor of pioneering into frienemy territory during her traitor hunt. As representative of the village and Hashirama-sama's proxy he had been welcomed respectfully and heartily and soon he had been invited to mixed groups of drinking bouts he had not been able to evade for long.

In the end Touka had found no further clues on possible traitors; but it had been quite amusing to observe stern and grumpy Tobirama getting completely wasted between the countless challenges of hard-drinking Nara and Akimichi and Yamanaka and other guests to Sake and Kirin and even more Sake and Kirin...

Touka had stayed adamantly sober to cover his back if need be because she had suspected an ambush when he would have been too drunk to fight, because the Nara were a shrewd bunch and the Yamanaka were known for their mind control. But nothing like that had happened at all; the three hosts had been equally three sheets to the wind and the kids had been immersed in their games... These guys really knew how to celebrate!

And the Kunoichi would still time and again stoically calmly chaff about how she had had to carry a totally wrecked Tobirama all the way from there to bed listening to his drunken warbling 'Ue o muuuuite arukou-ou-ou-ou...nijin daaa hoshi wooo kazoeee-e-e-te...' and refrain herself from bursting into laughter. Sometimes, only the quietly whistled tune was enough to fluster him to no end.

And he still had to scratch her back for keeping this whole incident secret, too...

* * *

Smiling to herself Touka dipped a wispy paintbrush into a jar of water, wetted the pigmented powders and set to work on the first pre-dried fictile shape. Soon, from her meticulous strokes filigree silhouettes, patterns and shades bloomed on the whitened surface. When she was finished after hours of tedious and patient brushstrokes and the transparent sealing brushed over the paint she was a bit surprised how well she had done; the close floral study had paid off in quite an unexpected way.

But then again, today had been full of 'quite unexpected' things... especially the reason to Touka's good mood, Mito-kun's 'unexpected' visit and the resulting conversation, had been interesting and, well, an 'unexpected' gift.

The Uzumaki had quite something up her sleeve, she mused when she remembered the 'shrine maiden's' daring suggestion.

* * *

"I think we need a secret group, one that no one knows about but us, to keep an eye on people that can't be trusted. I was hoping that you'd be in charge of it. I have Hashirama's ear, and his trust, and I can get you any information you need. I just need your promise that you'll do whatever you can to keep him safe. Can you help?" the redhead had blurted once Touka had put in her fifty yen on the Uchiha-menace.

To say Touka had been positively caught unawares was quite an understatement; and yet she had kept a straight face and had needed to quench her mistrust first, even if Mito was Hashirama-sama's wife. But if this really had been no ruse she would have found a strong ally in keeping Hashirama-sama and Tobirama safe...

So she had had to probe the matter.

"You want me to find and eliminate the traitors then?" she had concluded calmly. "You want to found a secret assassination squad, is this it? And you can't have our clan chief know about the infringement to his dream…" she had observed, then snorted. The whole situation had seemed so intriguing; and Mito Uzumaki obviously was a one of a kind Kunoichi, Touka had to give her that.

The bold suggestion had been brilliant, trailblazing...and completely in accordance with her own objective. She had inwardly applauded and she had wanted nothing more than to start this project right away. But would they be able to pull this off behind Touka's clan chief's and Mito's husband's back?

She had grabbed one of Tobirama's lemons and toyed with it in her hands, contemplating. Something needed to be done, that had been obvious.

"You're an interesting one, Mito-kun...and I agree for the need of what you suggest," she had to concede.

In this very instant the decision had been made; and just to spite the doubt of the revolutionary she had bit into the fruit without even flinching and chewed on its juicy content throwing the accursed lemon away later during the conversation.

"You're a formidable Kunoichi yourself, I see. Willing to play along as the diligent wife to your clan chief...and shadow conspiring behind his back without beating a lash," Touka had stated, stepped closer until they had been toe to toe; her chakra had flickered just that menacing bit in order to ensure she would not allow her clan chief and Tobirama to be harmed - not even by Hashirama-sama's wife.

Then she had held out her hand to seal their secret pact. "I like it. I'm game, Mito-kun," she had smiled shrewdly and happily. "This is what our clan and this village really needs. Let's give those traitors and our enemies alike what they deserve...let's fight the shadow war!"

* * *

Once the burning embers of the oven had done its deed Touka eked the finished handiworks out and placed them back on her worktop so they could cool off. In the meantime she prepared a discreet gift box with a scroll inscribed with a list of four names, encrypted directive propositions and a brief flowernote of iris, agrimonia eupatoria and cornflower.

Then she looked at the neat line of white fictile masks painted with different distinct floral patterns each: a white magnolia, green stinging nettles, an orange and yellow marigold, deep green ivy leaves, a twirly vine of indigo convolvolus, a tuft of crimson foxglove. Touka nodded contented.

She reached for the first one and placed the magnolia mask carefully inside the box, meticulously sealed the gift and attached a stinging nettle on top, certain Mito wouldn't think about the meaning but know who this package was from.

Touka was back from swiftly dropping it off for Mito to find it in her palace just in time for Kanoko Nara, Rinshi Akimichi, Inoko Yamanaka and Chiyo to arrive at her quarters like she had summoned them. Standing in front of her worktop, where the other four masks laid in wait, she grimly faced the slightly confused and excited quartett of Kunoichi. This was the first time the warrior had called them forth after all instead of them coming on their own volition.

"Ladies, since you all know by now that war is coming" the newly appointed commander of a secret assassination squad in the making grinned somberly and locked eyes with each of them, "I have a special proposition for you inquisitive Kunoichi, which I know you all will accept...and we have lots of work to do, today!"


	7. The First Step

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hey there!_

 _How are you doing? I'm glad you're back for another chapter. :) This time we get to see the new squad in action.  
In case you wonder about their codenames, they are just the Japanese translations for the flowers painted on their masks (Mokuren=magnolia, Irakusa=stinging nettle, Kizuta=ivy, Kinka=convolvulus, Kinsenka=marigold and Jigitarisu=foxglove).  
Anyway, have fun reading!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 7: The First Step**

The dry start was always the hardest. But things would go more smoothly once you knew the ropes and got into the flow; Touka knew that, the brats knew that...everyone knew that.

And yet the five of them were beyond displeased with their progress so far; Touka wished she could have jumpstarted operating right away and have their first grinning traitor-skulls sitting on 'Mokuren's' desk already in a neat row, and the teenage Kunoichi were moping about their shortcomings and were being a general nuissance. The squad commander clicked her tongue.

It couldn't be helped, though. The war veteran was on a whole other level than these half-baked kids; even among the four girls there were great differences in skill and knowledge gaping like bottomless pits.

'Kizuta' was often absentmindedly pushing up her ivy-mask and inevitably disclosing her identity so she could stuff her face with sweets and Onigiri whenever she was stressed and nervous but her strength and reliability were not to be disregarded.

The blabbermouth 'Kinka' relied on her clan Jutsus too much for reconnaissence and interrogation tasks so her unconscious body was almost always nothing but a drag and a burden to haul around; however, she had a distinct knack for messing with her targets' minds enough to extract the significant bit of intel needed. The convolvulus-mask suited her like chalk and cheese, Touka mused.

'Jigitarisu' was about two years younger than the rest and had to start from scratch because, unlike the inseparable clan girls trio, she hadn't been a proper Kunoichi at all. Yet she had a surprisingly neat Chakra control and took to toxicology and flower language like a duck to water; the pink foxglove became her signature fast.

And finally there was 'Kinsenka', the Kunoichi with the lowest stamina and Chakra reserves, who often pushed herself harder than her lanky body could handle and then complained about the strain. But what her physique couldn't take she easily compensated with the sheer capacity of her mind. This kid was a freaking genius, but Touka had already known that; she came up with a bouquet of tactical flowers within seconds and could pull strategy-rabbits out of the hat anytime, which spawned in the tightest of situations even faster than their namesakes.

They were just young and green; they had undoubtedly potential to become what 'Mokuren' and 'Irakusa' needed for their secret assassination organisation and Touka would make sure to shape each and every one of them personally into deathly weapons and excellent spies more loyal to their squad than to their own body, mind and soul.

She would make sure Hashirama-sama and Tobirama were safe and their enemies rotting in their graves even if it cost her life!

"So move your lazy asses and get the job done!" Touka said coldly while she didn't even look up from the scroll she was studying right now; from their breathless pants, exhausted moans and quiet curses and complaints she already knew how the four Kunoichi were faring on their individual training assignments. "You brought this unto yourselves with coming to me in the first place...and I won't let you back out of this so easily now; I told you beforehand: either you're in or you're dead," she added calmly.

Jigitarisu was struggling her way through a light spar with Touka's stinging nettle-masked shadow clone, a very useful technique which the warrior had picked up from Tobirama lately after having seen him use it; the girl would be forced to use all the required skills any Kunoichi had to know to stand her ground.

Off to Touka's left Kizuta was stuck in a quite vicious Gen-Jutsu, that would teach her not to take off her mask during her work for the organisation ever again unless Irakusa or Mokuren told her otherwise.

Squatting further down to the right Kinka had her own ordeal to deal with as she was instructed to attain a certain kind of intel from Kinsenka within a set amount of time without using her signature Jutsus. An intricate contraption strapped to her body would ensure the blonde was stressed enough to be tempted while it would punish her severely for giving in. And the clock was ticking...

However, Kinsenka on the other hand had to fight the effects of a low, controlled, dose of sodium thiopental, commonly known as a kind of truth serum, which Jigitarisu had helped Touka produce during their previous experiments; a spy with such high intelligence and mental capacity for sensitive intel needed to be trained to keep shut extra thoroughly, after all.

This was going to be a long day, Touka ruminated with a silent sigh and tapped her fingertip on the parchment. They probably needed a bunch of more recruits, who had a little more experience both in life and battle, too...and yet it was the young, innocent ones who were easier to be shaped and influenced into the most loyal of tools; the four girls had been a good choice, they just weren't enough.

But who could be trustworthy enough to be included in their circle? Who else besides herself and Tobirama and perhaps Mito could Touka trust, anyways?

Until she found out she had to work with what material she got either way...

* * *

"Sometimes, achieving the mission objective requires inconvenient methods," she quietly stated later that evening, "that entails making calculated use of all the assets a Kunoichi possibly has, both potentially and actually. And tonight you're going to witness some of the arts of manipulation you are expected to master."

Inoko Yamanaka, now without her Kinka-mask, blinked wide-eyed at Touka and was soaking up information from her squad commander like the dry sponge the older Kunoichi expected her to be.

"If done deliberately and with a bit of expertise a few subtle gestures can be enough to achieve the results you want," she whispered as the two of them crouched down behind the sliding doors to the noisy room. Carefully and noiselessly she moved the door ajar just so Hashirama-sama and his wife could be noticed seated at the head end of the low table. "Look..." she motioned for Inoko to watch and the girl scooted closer.

Days prior Touka had suggested to Mokuren that Mito and Hashirama-sama should host a little gathering at their palace to celebrate and deepen their 'one year of allegiance and friendly relations' and invite some of the resident clan heads and a 'plus one or two' to the sans weapon-party. Apparently Mito had succeded in convincing her husband of the idea quickly. So now a couple of important people were already sitting at the long table early and having a headstart of hard drinks and light chats while others were still to arrive at the casual congregation.

Of course, Mokuren was aware of Irakusa's plans and after a splitsecond of eye contact between the two Kunoichi she started the show.

Seemingly the pair continued their quiet conversation without any kind of change to its nature. But after only a discreet flash of wrist beneath the sleeve of her Yukata to her husband, a secret brush of fingertips against his thigh and a well placed meaningful glance and the head of the Senju clan seemed a little strained to keep his fluster hidden from their guests...

"But Irakusa-taichou" Inoko whispered with a pout, "they are husband and wife...I think it's pretty easy to seduce the man you're already in love with."

Touka briefly formed seals to hide her battle armour underneath a Gen-Jutsu, that transformed her attire into a black, traditionally longsleeved silk Yukata with a more lowered standing collar at her bared neck than was to her liking and beautiful red hyacinth and white hydrangea embroidery. "Lover or archenemy, friend or complete stranger - it shouldn't matter to you who it is, and you should be able to do it regardless of how you feel; you're a Kunoichi," she silently told her while she inserted a belladonna hair jewellery to her topknot and gave the teenager a hard stare.

"Remember, you're not to drink on the job but press your lips to the cup and wet your lips should proper decorum demand it; if I catch you not sober at the end of this event I'll beat you within an inch of your life, got it?" she warned and Inoko hastily nodded.

"Now don't stare, observe!" she instructed before properly kneeling next to the sliding doors, efficiently and soundlessly pulled them open and entered with a quiet "Coming in". Inoko was quick to follow suit with a tablet full of Sake refill while Touka half-closed the doors behind her again and swiftly assessed who was already present at the long low table.

Opposite Hashirama-sama and his wife the Aburame, Yamanaka and Inuzuka representatives were crowding the bottom end of the table with a good dozen Sake bottles between them; and the alcohol had already loosened up the tension enough to dispel the sitting order and have them mingle and change seating cushions as it seemed fit to the merry chatter and heated discussions. Inoko joined her father's side after distributing the replenishment.

Apparently the Nara and Akimichi people were being late but there was no strictly appointed time for everyone to be there, anyways.

Tobirama, naturally, was the other Senju representative present and sat close to his brother and his sister-in-law where he could face the doors and observe everyone coming or leaving the room. While Touka approached the table in a few floating steps his crimson eyes studied her appearance and he straightened his position; the cushion to his left was not taken yet.

However, she chose to gracefully sit down opposite him and next to a glum looking Madara, who apparently had taken along some Uchiha boy of Inoko's agegroup, so the Kunoichi could be a buffer and shield between her clan chief and the devil; instantly Tobirama frowned a fraction but seemed also apprehensive of her intention.

Quietly Touka said her greetings and listened to the host's passionate rant while she dutifully poured some more Sake to Hashirama-sama's and Mito's papboats. The appropriate order would be to proceed with Tobirama-dono's one but she turned to her neighbour instead and calmly murmured: "I see your cup is almost empty, Madara-senpai. May I offer you another one?"

She noticed him stop short in surprise the same way Tobirama betrayed he was puzzled; and while they still hesitated, she politely inclined her head in a brief flash of exposed neck and just did as she had suggested, then filled her own papboat and lifted it to her lips.

Let's get this war started, she somberly thought to herself.

* * *

It was already dark outside when the gathering slowly disbanded and the few people who could still stand on their own two feet after this drinking orgy shouldered the less hard-drinking ones on their way home.

Touka rose to leave the hosts to themselves and shuffled to the doors with a sigh where she staged a frail stumble on the threshold. The bumping into the man right behind her left her with an arm instantly wrapped tightly around her midsection in a familiar-yet-unfamiliar way instead of the Kunai to her flesh, which she still had expected somehow in the back of her mind. "Careful. You sure drank a lot tonight..." she heard his low rumble close to her ear and inwardly she bristled at it.

"Hmm...maybe," Touka hummed, languidly tilted her head back until it met with the shoulder of that man and cast up her eyes at him in a perfect drunken gaze. She was met with a small wry grin and an at least tipsy bloodred stare.

So she sighed again and let her body ease into the curl of his arm around her smaller form despite her suspicion of a sudden choking deadlock grip, that didn't come. "Interesting," he murmured thoughtfully, "...who would have thought enough alcohol to chill out a bull and a change of clothes could turn a fierce warrior like you into such a soft and smooth temptress in the arms of a man?"

Touka let out a discontented sound and turned around until her face was buried in his shoulder and she could breathe against the skin of his neck, watch the blood pumping through his veins beneath it and feel his heartbeat against her chest; his hand seemed to burn through all the layers of silk at the small of her back. She definitely had never thought to ever be this close to that man in her darkest of nightmares!

"Don't look; this is embarrassing," she moaned into his shoulder and grabbed the arm, which was still holding her in place, close to his humeroulnar joint for support. "I usually don't wear anything other than battle armour; I must look so weird now... in a fancy feminine Yukata like this," she muttered a complaint in a well placed pout.

"I wouldn't call it weird...just unexpected, and definitely a rare sight to behold," he mused quietly, the wry grin still audible in his tone. "You have an interesting taste in clothes, though, Touka Senju," he drawled on and lifted her other long sleeve in his free hand as if he had to verify through his touch that she really was husbandless, "black and red and white...you are aware these are usually my colours, yes?"

"So what if they are?" she breathed against the skin of his neck and watched his reaction from the corner of her eye. "Damn you, Madara. It's all your fault. Whenever I hold my Chakra blade I can't help but think of you now..." she didn't even have to lie if omitting the fact that it was the anticipation of butchering and beheading him with it was what crossed her mind didn't count as lying. Her grip on his upper arm tightened as if she was about to break it while her other hand deliberately slid up his chest.

Likely she would have the longest bath in her whole life after all of this was over...

"Don't you ever remember that hot day in summer...you and me and nothing but the fire of your Amaterasu burning between us?" Touka exclaimed and looked up at his face when he stirred and held his breath. Her perfect drunken stare matched his for as long as it took him to consider her cleavage, and probably the memory of her almost exposed breasts, and quietly concede: "I do remember..."

She deliberately flicked her tongue to wet her lips and take a final gamble. "So I'm not the only one, right? 'You feel it, too, don't you? This...wrongness'," she breathed as she craned her neck, tilted her head upwards and snaked her hand further up to have it come around his neck and brush the sensitive skin while he leaned likewise closer. Both their eyes fell half-shut as she could feel hot Sake-breath dance between their parted lips.

Just a little closer...

But the Uchiha was fast and gripped her wrist tightly. "Indeed," he sobered up within seconds and his voice grew cold again, "so you can finally drop this Gen-Jutsu now!" He somehow managed to wrestle the poisoned Senbon from her fingers before she could do the deed and pierce the neural pipelines in his neck.

Touka clicked her tongue, dropped her drunken ruse and pushed herself free so she could gain enough range to draw her blade; she prefered her battle armour anyways and she wasn't exactly unhappy she didn't have to rinse her mouth with Sake as mouthwash now.

However, she would have really liked if the assassination attempt had gone smoothly and she could have presented Madara's corpse to Mokuren tomorrow...

"Not bad...almost had me there," the Uchiha remarked while he inspected the Senbon, then his face twisted in a deathglare; at least Inoko had made her getaway safely like Touka had instructed her to beforehand.

A fight on this narrow corridor seemed inevitable. Then again, Touka couldn't wish for anything more than a proper bloodshed... The archfiend to the Senju deserved better than a little pinprick and a quick death, she felt.

However, the next moment she felt a hand on her belly, the right one this time. "Wow, wow. Hold your horses, you two! Didn't we all just celebrate the anniversary of the Senju-Uchiha-truce?" Tobirama interfered with a sharp hiss. "My brother is right behind these doors, so don't you dare to break it now! Go home, go to bed and sleep off your inebriety until all of this drunken frenzy is forgotten!" he insisted and shooed Madara towards the exit with expansive gestures until the fire-breather reluctantly relented.

"You know, I'm more sober than you, Tobirama-dono," Touka deadpanned. He shot her a glare.


	8. Unveil and Understand

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hello everybody!_

 _Did you have a nice holiday, or are you at least enjoying the weekend? Here is another chapter to (hopefully) help you do that._  
 _Have fun reading!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 8: Unveil and Understand**

"Can you tell me what in Rikudou Sennin's name happened back then at that gathering?"

Tobirama sounded seriously pissed; he just wouldn't and wouldn't let it go.

Touka, however, didn't care and let him rant all he wanted. There was a solid wall between the two of them while she was taking her sweet time soaking in the women's bath before it got crowded; getting up before sunrise for this sort of luxury was definitely worth it. The warmth of the steaming Onsen did wonders to her body so she just leaned back and closed her eyes for a bit while she listened.

"Have you lost your mind now?" he accused from the other side of the wooden screen, "Bringing your blades to a no-weapon-party...did you really think it a good idea to engage with Madara fucking Uchiha in a drunken fight in a small corridor? Facing this dangerous man all on your own, trying something funny..."

"Well, since my assassination plans unfortunately failed, isn't it good I brought my weapons then? I would have definitely been in a worse position if I had been unarmed," she replied calmly.

"You could have been _dead_ if I hadn't noticed you two were up to no good," Tobirama heatedly rumbled and she heard him shuffle agitatedly behind the barrier.

"Either that, or there would have been one enemy less to worry about..." the Kunoichi breathed and contentedly stretched her toes under water. "Such a shame. Maybe I should have fed him even more of my Sake...or been more patient and had him fully captivated first," she mused. "After all he admitted himself that I almost had him."

"What was up with you anyways? Appearing all dolled up as if you suddenly were one of the Uchiha instead of a Senju, pouring him Sake all night long and then disappearing together...anyone would have found that suspicious if they hadn't been so drunk," Tobirama let out exasperatedly and the dull noise of palms against wood echoed through the whole Onsen.

"You know, even you'll get in serious trouble if you peep in the women's bath, Tobirama-dono," she remarked levelly. Touka slid underwater for a brief moment, let herself be completely surronded by the relaxingly hot liquid, that distorted the frustrated noise he made. Once her head emerged again and she breathed in the vapour filled air she finally responded to his previous opinion.

"Now, _Madara_ didn't find it very suspicious or else he probably wouldn't have been as responsive in the way he was...and that was what counted. Besides, I was expected to wear these kind of robes like the other Kunoichi present, was I not?" she said while she busied herself with lathering and scrubbing her skin with the naturally mineralized water.

Tobirama grumbled disapprovingly. "No reason to take that felon lightly just because he's familiar to the sight of your boobs already. You never know with him and his Sharingan..." he argued.

Touka comfortably turned around, folded her arms on the pool edge and cushioned her head on them. "It's quite the other way round, Tobirama-dono," she calmly corrected him, "he was supposed to take _me_ lightly by taking away the image of a warrior in his head and replacing it briefly with that of a woman...but all the preparation and getting friendly ever since we forged my blade together has come undone the moment he escaped my kiss of the dragon; and another seduction attempt wouldn't work on him again." She sighed and slowly blinked while she heared him gasp.

"That's more than half a year ago!" Tobirama exclaimed, "And ever since you've been meaning to-..."

"Yes, indeed. Aren't you glad, you have an experienced Kunoichi up your sleeve for the upcoming war who can plan battle strategies this far ahead?" she said with a slight smirk tugging at her lips. But her countenance snapped back into place when she noticed a noise coming from the entrance.

"You should better go now, Tobirama-dono. Unless you want to screw your reputation and henceforth be known as the pervert little brother of the Senju clan chief..." Touka whispered and sensed his presence vanish from behind the screen with so much as a grumble. Then she turned back around to observe who came to disturb her quiet, well earned bath.

Conveniently, she had already made a brief acquaintance with the entering Kunoichi during the very same gathering Tobirama got all worked up over. He probably had missed her quiet conversations beneath the fleeting silken sleeves of her Yukata, too, like he obviously had missed her likewise spirit away her drinks into the Uchiha's and his own Sake bottles and cups instead of bingeing with them.

"Oh, hey. Good morning, Senju-san...didn't think you'd be even earlier in the baths than our sort," she was greeted with a carnassial toothy grin; of course, it was the Inuzuka with her good nose who noticed Touka first. "Usually we're the first to be here, right?" - "Right."

"Good morning, Inuzuka-san, Aburame-san," she simply replied while she watched them climb into the Onsen and sigh delightedly as they were engulfed by the hot water. Just the people she wanted to meet...

"Ne, ne, Senju-san," Inuzuka didn't skip a beat and approached Touka's space in the pool with languid paddling movements and the curious stare of a mutt on the scent, "about what you said the other night-...you really believe another war is coming, don't you? Even though we just had this peace-party..."

Touka nodded briefly, her face impassive. "War is always coming," she confirmed sternly and locked eyes with both Kunoichi. "And no amount of alcohol and merry chatter is going to change that, no matter how much you try to delude yourselves."

The Inuzuka clan chief's wife exchanged a meaningful glance with the demure Aburame heiress who kept her heat-flushed cheeks discreetly hidden behind a small-boned hand; then they both scooted even closer so the brazen Kunoichi could slam her hand right next to Touka's head against the wooden screen and come face to face with her. Unfazed by the Inuzuka's action she gave her a hard unblinking stare.

She didn't indulge her whim to order her 'sit' and 'give paw', though.

"You even smell like war, Senju-san; the Onsen can't veneer the blood and steel and death clinging to your pale skin..." the Inuzuka sniffed, then broke into a canine flashing grin. She didn't seem to have caught on to the recent incident with Madara, though, so Tobirama was probably fussing over nothing again. "You clearly are a no-shit Kunoichi, and I like that. So...let's talk about that other suggestion you made!"

The bug princess nodded earnestly and seconded that; obviously the two of them had already entertained the thought...

* * *

Back in her quarters Touka busied herself with pottery again while the four girls went through a series of Katas like she had instructed them to; a small breakthrough in their training had boosted their spirits so they were even more eager to progress and finally start operating.

The young Kunoichi seemingly had tasted blood; which was a good thing, Touka thought. They would see and drink and bathe in so much blood of their enemies soon enough they would hardly know anything else anymore... that was what war did to you.

And, like Touka had told time and again, war was definitely coming.

The creative process left the squad commander enough room to ruminate on the structure and workings of their shadow organisation some more. While she waited for the oven to bake the painted clay she prepared two scrolls for Mokuren; one contained her findings on their modus operandi and a curt mission report with dried lavender and squill imprinted to the parchment, the other listed the new recruits and their aliases.

With a rhododendron bud she sealed the scrolls into the form of a stinging nettle and left her quarters. They needed to talk...

"Jigitarisu," Touka interrupted the Kunoichi quartett's orchestrated spar and extracted the youngest member from the squad, "Take off your mask and follow me; you others continue your schedule until I'm back to whip your sore asses into shape."

Chiyo snapped to attention and hurried to her side. "Yes, Irakusa-taichou," four voices intonated straight-spined and Touka simply turned around and strode towards town.

She handed the Kunoichi the message for Mokuren and instructed her: "Head to the Senju palace and deliver this to Mito-sama, the wife of my clan chief. If she's not there you are to look for her in the future hospital. You will not give this into any other hands than Mito-sama's and hers alone, understood? Go."

While she observed the teenager hasten off Touka changed directions and went to her official appointment for tea at the local Kissaten with two honourable clan ladies, Hotaru Aburame and Youko Inuzuka, who shared more than their distaste of traitors and a general weariness of a vapid peace with Touka now...

Tsubaki (camelia) and Akoneito (aconite).

These two seasoned Kunoichi would probably be a useful asset to their circle and bolster their reconnaissance and intel capacity vastly. Moreover, they would give Mokuren and Isakura more insight and influence to their clans and tie them even closer to the Senju than the teenagers could have done.

Discreetly implying things during a few intimate words at the gathering had been another well calculated risk; but further probing had led the warrior to believe they could as well give it a try. Youko and Hotaru had been as keen as mustard to sift through the dirt of this village and decimate the scum.

Irakusa would discuss the details with the recruits, brief them on their tasks and see what they really got to offer hidden between the light banter of meaningless 'coffee klatsch' over war experience, clan anecdotes and Shinobi in general...

Touka just hoped for Jigitarisu's own good the teenager didn't dally away relaying the message to Mokuren so she might have her answer tonight.


	9. Clandestine Chat Over Tea

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hey there!_

 _Here is chapter 9 already, and I estimate that this story is going to have 22 chapters. Doesn't that sound good? Anyway, in this chapter Mito appears again and it's about time, don't you think?  
Have fun reading!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 9: Clandestine Chat Over Tea**

"I suppose you wanted to talk about that recent mission," she said impassively, waiting.

This time Touka actually laid down her whetting stone and Kunai to turn around and face Mito. "Among other things, yes," she said likewise impassively. "I gather you know of the recent growth of our squad," the Kunoichi decided to postpone the failed assassination mission.

Mito frowned to be ignored, but recovered quickly. "Yes. You've done well… in that regard. We're going to need all the help that we can get. I met Chiyo with your message. She seems surprisingly capable, given her age and size. What are her particular talents?"

Touka nodded curtly. "I thought her useful despite her not being an actual Kunoichi...but this'll change in no time. She has a remarkable Chakra control and she is quite familiar with poisons. The Kiss of the Dragon was her concoction," she conceded.

Mito smiled. "Then I am sure she is an excellent addition to your cause… I suppose you did think to ask where she acquired her knowledge of poisons?" She crossed her arms.

"She was looking for a means of retaliation...now she's an orphan, which is another useful trait," Touka's lips actually curled up a fraction as she said this. "We can't rely on clan brats only after all...since we have to be careful about our operations staying hidden. And no one will ask where an orphaned civilian girl might go," she stated and shuffled toward her worktop to pour two cups of tea from her pot and shove one of them in Mito's direction.

"Thank you," she said for the tea's sake. "I applaud your cleverness, Irakusa. I have another potential recruit that you might find… interesting." She sipped her tea, pausing for effect. "I think you might quite enjoy her, in fact." She smiled to herself.

"Oh?" Touka simply lifted an eyebrow. "Tell me about her," she wanted to know while she sipped on her own cup and leaned her back against the edge of the worktop.

"By all appearances, she seems completely loyal to the Senju, but given certain aspects of her character, I have my doubts. However, if it turns out that she is as true as she confesses, she will be a useful tool indeed. I know that if I submit her to your capable hands, you will remove all of my doubts for me." She lowered her teacup, wanting full view of Touka's reaction when she said the name. "Kasumi Uchiha. Do you know of her?"

The Kunoichi had seemed neutral when she listened; but once the name 'Uchiha' popped up her face became darker. "An Uchiha loyal to the Senju?" she questioned with a voice dripping of suspicion. She was quiet for quite a while and it almost seemed as if she had grown wary of Mito, too, at this point. "Fine. Send her here for play," she decided with a cruel glint to her stare.

Mito nodded once, returning her attention to her tea. "I understand your suspicion. I felt the same. But she seems to value the peace for the safety of her son, Kagami. You have my permission to use any method you deem necessary to prove her loyalty. And, Irakusa," she trailed off, her tone taking a grave turn. "If it turns out that she cannot be trusted, I don't need to tell you that she will need to be eliminated. If that is the case, though… you will need to ensure that her son is dealt with as well. He will present a problem, otherwise." Her eyes were cold, merciless. It was not a decision she would make lightly.

Touka nodded slightly. "That goes without saying," she stated calmly, then blinked at Mito. "Do you want me to have another go at her clan chief, too, while I'm at it?" she offered by the way.

Mito gave her a strange look. "The failed attempt at Madara's life will have consequences that we cannot yet foresee. He will be wary, a cornered wolf. Best let that one lie, at least for now. I'll think of something. This setback will cause problems for me, and I'm going to need some time. However, that brings up another major issue I've been meaning to tell you." She drained the rest of her tea and set the empty cup down. "Do you know of the bijuu?"

"I am aware of that. And I would rather have you stay put so I can stage this as a single attempt of the lone suspicious war veteran, that I am," Touka spoke her mind dauntless that Madara would be on her heels now. And the look she gave Mito told that she both expected and wanted a violent backlash; she did not seem suicidal or dumb with hatred though. "The nine tailed beasts. What of them?" she motioned for Mito to share her knowledge and issues.

Mito held her gaze for a moment, gauging the Madara situation. "Fine. If you're eager to wrangle Madara, I won't stop you." She sighed. "The nine tailed beasts, yes. Many have believed them to be only legend and conjecture. They're real… and I have four of them in my possession."

"Interesting. Go on," was all Touka said. She was still calm even though she blinked curtly in surprise, but she didn't seem afraid or greedy for that power Mito currently wielded.

"Messages have been set to the five corners of the world, proposing the establishment of legitimate nations and hidden Shinobi villages. My husband and I have collected the tailed beasts to distribute evenly amongst the newly fledged villages to equalize the power and promote peace."

"And you're really going to give them away to our enemies?" Touka deadpanned. "At least after erasing the Uchiha, I hope?" she snorted. Apparently she disagreed with Hashirama's plans here.

"Putting the nations on equal footing will discourage the notion of war," Mito argued, unperturbed. "And whether or not the Uchiha are erased depends entirely on our actions. It's only going to happen as fast as we can make it happen. I hope that we can achieve the neutralization of the Uchiha Clan before such decisions need to be made. I am almost certain, though, that if we can simply cut off the head, the rest of the clan will easily fall into line."

"You don't really believe that, do you? Giving away the bijuu is like giving away all your swords and Kunai and Shuriken and armour and everything to your enemies, helping them re-arm while de-arming yourself," Touka stated firmly. "Besides...if you have the bijuu to eliminate your enemies, this entire organisation is basically just for intel," she seemed a little darker now, as if she just had received a low blow to her pride.

Mito hesitated. "I trust my husband," she clipped, dodging a full answer. "And we can't use the bijuu to protect this village from the enemies within, after all."

"But you don't trust him enough to not act behind his back or you wouldn't be here discussing the death of our enemies here...enemies, Hashirama-sama doesn't see as fiends anymore," Touka replied levelly. "It's all a matter of control...and every war demands for sacrifices; there's bound to be collateral damage," the warrior spoke coldly. "And you said you, Mokuren, have already a bunch of them captured...so you possess the necessary control - then use it!" she demanded.

"You ask me to betray my husband in this matter, and that I will not do. When we started down this road, you promised to uphold his ideals in the same breath that you promised to protect him. Or do you no longer trust in your clan chief?" She leveled a stare at Touka, testing her calmly.

"I ask you to protect your husband with the same devotion I show to the good of my clan." Her tone was still calm but there was a glacial edge to it. "I'm willing to do anything to protect my people. I think I should have made that obvious by now when I was even willing to lay with the devil for the good of Hashirama-sama, who has been lulled by those blasted Sharingan eyes as it seems. I may have failed this time, but here I stand and am working on the next attempt to fulfill my deed. And what have you done for him with all that power you possess in your small hands? With all the bijuu and Hashirama-sama having your ear, as you claimed?" she almost hissed. "Don't ever tell me again I'm not willing to fight and die for the Senju!"

Mito blinked, seemingly affronted by the outburst. "We fight a different kind of war, now, Irakusa," she said, almost gently. "A war of politics, and shadows. A war of soft words, and being in the right place at the right time. It is something that my husband has been trained to do since birth, as I have been trained. I trust you to lead the fight. I need you to trust me in this. There is a more urgent matter at hand."

"Soft words don't work on a man like Madara Uchiha. That is proven now and for all," Touka replied coldly. "Next time I'm doing it my way. Shadows and steel and blood - his blood!" she decided. "You go ahead and be a politician, lull him if you can, be there where he sees you...so he doesn't see me standing behind him with my blade aimed for his vitals!" Touka placed her cup with a quiet 'thud' on the worktop, then crossed her arms. "What could be more urgent than killing our enemies?" At least she was still willing to listen.

"Ah, well…" Mito mused, seemingly back on equal footing. "You'll like this one, as it is related to killing enemies. With my 'small hands' I found some interesting documentation that states that Madara desires the tailed beasts for himself. Whatever you're planning to do, Touka-san… I urge you to do it soon."

"Consider it done." Seemingly Touka was back to formal business herself. "What are these documents about, by the way?"

"Just a note from him to my husband stating that the Uchiha ought to have at least half if he considers them to be friends, and that he might send a… representative… to collect them." She gave a wry smile.

"And what's your husband's response to that?" She arched a brow. "Is he still over the moon for the Uchiha? Because I don't see that man on the guillotine for treason right now…"

She sighed deeply. "I have no such note from Hashirama to Madara. I can only presume that, if such a note exists, it's tucked away in Madara's safekeeping. This was a while ago, though, and no one has taken them from me yet, so maybe, maybe…" she didn't sound convinced. "Maybe this has all blown over already. Obviously, there's no way to bring such a thing up without admitting that I went digging for intel and giving myself away. We just have to work with what we've got."

"I can have one of our squad find out if such a note exists and what it contains," Touka offered. Obviously she already was in the middle of planning a reconnaissance mission in her mind. "After that we can take the appropriate steps to cross Madara's plans more efficiently…"

Mito offered a curt nod. "Is there anything else?"

"I'm going to devise each new member a set of missions to prove themselves before we can firstly, truly trust them and secondly, be sure they're ready for the real thing," Touka informed her. "Also I want to discuss how we operate this squad more efficiently. We need headquarters, we need schedules, we need structure…and more manpower."

"Whatever you need, I will make sure that you get it. It might be wise to construct a new headquarters for this express purpose. I can get Hashirama to do that under some pretense of a personal project. He won't deny me that. Structure and schedules will come with manpower, and that I am certain I can help you with. It might be worth looking into the wives of the clan leaders. If they're anything like the Hyuuga or the Uchiha, the women are being kept out of the loop and will want to have a stake in their own futures. I'm sure I can glean some strength from there. Once you have enough recruits, you can set them to work with the schedules, and a structure will work itself out naturally. Will that be sufficient?"

"Good. We'll leave the matter at that for now then," she didn't seem quite satisfied yet. "I'll inform you of any new recruits from the other clans...I have plans for tea with Tsubaki and Akoneito later. Do you wish to join the party or do you plan to stay in the shadows for now until I give the final clear to reveal yourself as Mokuren to them? I do understand you're in a delicate position as Hashirama-sama's wife and such...while I have a lot more freedom to act on my own," Touka considered calmly.

"My identity is a danger to us both. If you think it will help you to secure their loyalty, I will concede to your judgment, but if I am revealed to the wrong people, it could spell disaster." She waited calmly, clearly fifty fifty on the choice.

Touka nodded, approving. "That's what I was implying," she simply said. "So… I recommend you keep everything smooth on the surface and throw the enemies my way, and I take care of them. One by one…" she tapped on the worktop to underline her words as if she was stabbing bugs with her fingernails. "I think it wise if the fewer people know about your involvement the better."

"Very well. Leave the clan wives to me, then," she said with a conspiratorial smile.

"...so my 'tea parties' may become larger," Touka grinned back somberly. She officially hated socialising but she obviously didn't turn down the meetings with the Aburame and Inuzuka ladies.

"I'll send some more tea, then, too," she offered with a smirk.

Touka nodded and grinned back faintly. "See you around, Mokuren."

"As long as I'm alive," she promised.


	10. Betray the Soul

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hey!_

 _A lot of things are going to happen in this chapter.  
And I advise you not to read too much into it (unless you really want to see it that way) - it's just a Gen-Jutsu._

 _Also I want to address a comment a guest has left on chapter 9:_

 _Yes, you may very well label Touka and Mito 'backstabbing bitches'. Naruto is full of deceit and liars; think about people like e.g. Danzo, Kabuto or the whole Akatsuki organisation, who are basically all traitors. And yes, Touka and Mito are ready to kill a child. Thank you for pointing this out. Because this is what Naruto is like: a lot of characters are kids who (are trying to) kill other kids. Which is pretty worrisome and sad if you think about it. So I'm glad this is just fiction._

 _Anyhow, have fun reading!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 10: Betray the Soul**

Touka was occupied with devising and meticulously mapping another attempt on the man aiming to set the village ablaze from the shadows when Tsubaki appeared at her threshold.

"Well?" she demanded impassively without letting her inkbrush stop scribbling on the parchment.

The Kunoichi lifted her heavy hood so the Aburame's trademark dark almost-afro sprang free around her face but she kept her camelia-mask in place. "Irakusa-taichou," she addressed her politely and remained where she stood. "Mission accomplished," Tsubaki informed taciturnly.

Stroking a straight black line across the map and adding a footnote Touka calmly urged her on: "Go on, report."

"As instructed I stayed successfully hidden outside the Uchiha district," she began quietly, "while I sent fourteen of my Kikaichuu inside to search for the target object and return with the intel." Tsubaki fiddled with her long sleeves so a few of her curious Kikaichuu could crawl along her pale fingers and catch some air. "There were..." she briefly hesitated, "two casualties. It seemed their deaths were mere accidents, though, and not due to detection of their intent."

"And what did you find?" Touka probed without pity for Tsubaki's loss when the Aburame heiress went silent. As soon as the ink had dried she sealed the scrolls for later and opened another one to continue her work.

"Ah...could I please borrow a piece of parchment for a second?" she asked and the squad commander simply motioned for her to go ahead. Soon a pair of Kikaichuu buzzed over and started scuttling in curious patterns over the blank page for a while before flying off to their mistress again; the parchment remained disappointingly blank though.

Touka shot Tsubaki an unimpressed glance and arched a brow.

"If I may, Irakusa-taichou?" the Kunoichi murmured behind her mask, approached her commander and produced a little glass jar from within the folds of her sleeve, which she unstopped and cautiously tipped over so a fine powder, maybe pollen, dusted over the page. Gently she waved a hand and the faint air circulation and turbulences were enough to blow it off again.

What remained, however, stuck to the trails the Kikaichuu had left on the parchment with their invisible secretion and before Touka's scrutinizing eyes the exact recreation of a document in a distinctive hand unfolded. Interesting.

"Well done, Tsubaki," she murmured while she still studied the intel. "See you for tea then; unless anything else comes up, of course. Dismissed."

Tsubaki nodded, placed the jar on Touka's worktop and donned her hood again before she disappeared as quietly as she had come. This was the difference when employing seasoned Kunoichi instead of half-baked brats; and so much for the Aburame's initiation mission...

* * *

During the following weeks a lot of things happened.

After stewing for a good while Tobirama, predictably, came around; somehow he seemingly couldn't stay angry with Touka for very long, anyways; and she exploited on that fact ever so often. Of course it had taken her another flower message of peach flowers, ivy and the ever present chrysantemum to propitiate him and have him relent without even appologizing to him.

And by the time Touka was calmly humming 'Ue o muite arukou' when Tobirama arrived at her quarters, and he was therefore thoroughly flustered again to her secret amusement, all of his previous anger had completely fizzled out within a heartbeat.

So she could brief him on the latest attempt on Madara's life and explain her past scheming better this time; and he finally seemed to understand because he left in a quite calm mood even though he apparently was still worried about the Uchiha's possible backlash.

The honest assassination attempt had been another failure but that had been perfectly according to Touka's plan...

This one's purpose had only been to leave the impression that it was only a lone warrior's doing, who couldn't come to terms with the peaceful situation and who still couldn't lay her hatred for the Uchiha to rest, that a war veteran like her wouldn't associate with 'peacemongers' like Mito Uzumaki. Madara's attention would surely be pulled in her direction now but Touka was prepared for war. It was a pity, though, that she hadn't killed the fire-breather for good this time. Regardless, the mission was still in motion and the Kunoichi would simply stick to the plan she had come up together with Kinsenka before deploying the Nara brat to her first solo mission.

Speaking of said mission, the squad commander had been skimming and burning Kizuta's and Jigitarisu's own initiation mission report with an approving nod to herself at their successful infiltration into the stronghold of the Tsuchi clan, killing the infant heir in his sleep with one of Jigitarisu's poisons and returning back to the village safely without being noticed when the tattered and torn fawn had stumbled into Touka's quarters and had simply fainted in a heap of misery once a frail "Mission accomplished, Irakusa-taichou..." had escaped her too pale lips.

Touka had clicked her tongue, swept the teenager up in one decisive movement and carried her unconscious form to the cot as soon as the seasoned Kunoichi had observed the girl had run a fever due to the severe condition she had been in.

Efficiently and calmly she had tended to the numerous wounds and various kinds of bruises littering the lanky fawn's shivering and whimpering body, which had silently told a detailed report of the week-long interrogation that her squad commander had demanded of her to undergo; Touka even noticed the successfully retrieved target object clasped tightly in Kanoko's chafed and multi-fractured grasp.

Briefly Touka had summoned Kinka to make sure Kinsenka had sustained as had been asked of her and not leaked any intel at all. And only when the Yamanaka brat had confirmed from her fellow squad member's mind and memories that this had been the case, if barely, Touka had decided to send for Kanoko's mother.

The stern Nara matriarch had paled a couple of shades when she had learned of her daughter's condition and while fussing over her fawn she had quietly listened to Touka's calm words.

"Well," Kadohime Nara had drawled over tea later when Kanoko was taken care of and sleeping peacefully, "I already knew my little girl has been up to something when she has been returning from 'play' all battered and bruised but undeniably stronger day after day...but to think she has chosen the fiercest Kunoichi of the Senju clan to be her Sensei-"

Touka had slightly inclined her head in acknowledgement of the compliment and kept sipping on her own blend calmly while two pairs of shrewd eyes had measured each other between the quiet clicking of wooden Tori Shougi pieces.

"What exactly is it you are training her for so eagerly, though?" the grey eminence of the shadow wielders had considered her with a wary hooded stare, which her daughter seemingly had adopted from her.

The younger warrior had then cruelly captured the Nara's Phoenix with her Eagle and faced the other Kunoichi with a serious glance of her own. "For war," she had stated gravely, "because war is always coming...and the least I can do is preparing my allies as much as myself."

For a brief moment the two Kunoichi had kept staring impassively at one another but then Kadohime had leaned closer folding her elegant hands in a zen-Buddhistic way on her lap. "I'm listening, Touka-san...", she had breathed conspirationally.

And from then on Sanzashi (hawthorn) had been in on the plans and had been contributing even more brilliant strategies than Kinsenka to finally bring down the root of all evil.

* * *

The icy flames of the early evening sky were already setting the defenselessly nude winter trees ablaze when Touka was still in the middle of beheading and stabbing imaginary enemies; her Chakra blade swished through the cooling air blurring with a steely hum as she soldiered coldheartedly through her more complex Katas.

She didn't stop her swift motions even though she noticed the fur-coated figure with a silvery shock of hair stroll towards the training field by her lair. "Touka..." she was greeted and stern crimson eyes trained on her while he waited and watched with arms crossed.

A swing, three measured steps on the frost-hardened soil, a half-turn and she faced her visitor alongside the risen blade of her favourite weapon. "Since I _know_ you are not who you currently impersonate you can drop the Henge and state your claim right on," Touka calmly stated; she was ready to strike.

"Hn, would've thought this appearance was a safe bet for at least a few moments...What gave me away?" his voice shifted to its true colour while the Jutsu smoothly rippled away to reveal the one she had expected to be beneath. Ah, could have been the audacity, the arrogancy, the antics... and she knew both men much too well to ever confuse them.

"Tobirama-dono simply wouldn't come to me like this," she settled for an answer that betrayed nothing. Her blade was just as anticipating the bloodshed as she was.

"I see...so you're not as close as I thought you might be, my mistake," he grinned cruelly while bloodred eyes bore into her deathglare, "but all the better for my case." Then he took the liberty to consider the encompassed surroundings of Touka's quarters before he continued: "You have holed up quite a bit since the foundation of this village, haven't you, Touka Senju? It actually took me quite some time to find your little 'stronghold' without being obvious...suits you."

Touka's eyes narrowed a fraction but otherwise she stayed deathly calm like a snowfield and lay in wait. "What do you want, Uchiha?"

"What? And here I thought we were on different terms already...Where's the whispered over sweet Sake 'Madara-senpai' gone?" he mocked and carefully started circling her; their bloody dance to death seemed imminent while the black and bare forest around them sang the intro to their mute battle tune.

"You must be aware of which terms we are truely on," the Kunoichi replied grimly, the image of a recent series of assaults and brief clashes vivid on her mind. She answered his lurking beast's pacing with her own; and they both became each other's hunter and prey at the same time.

Madara's angry Tomoe flared to life, betraying that he knew very well how much she wanted him dead. "That's why I'm here to change it," he announced somberly.

"By 'change' you mean 'end'," Touka more stated than asked as she twirled her blade in fast accelerating motions, which blurred her outlines behind them and made her seem like a ghostly apparition of a warrior.

The twilight sky ripped open and faded to dancing shades of snaffling black and burning red, aligning and overlying her Gen-jutsu with a layer of his own.

"It could lead to an end. Even though you live holed up like a hermit out here, I'm sure you've heard about Hashirama's merry schemes of fastening the inter clan 'peace'..." the fire-breather said while he kept adjusting his cautious but determined steps as he tried to find an opening. But Touka wouldn't give him what he was seeking.

"You implying?" her voice echoed from the thousand needle-drops of napalm rain she drew from his flames and converted them to her own weapon.

"I'm implying," Madara replied unpertubed, extended his mantle and swung the black cloth like a torero to both deflect the attack from above and briefly disappear from sight in another shrouding Gen-jutsu, "that this time I'm willing to indulge his whim if I get what I want..."

"Revenge in the form of my death? The extinction of the Senju? Seeing this wooden village and Hashirama-sama's dreams crumble to fallen embers beneath the wrath of your Amaterasu?" Touka countered coldly not skipping a beat to unleash a windmill of blows.

The black mantle billowed in the non-existent wind and Touka's Chakra blade seared right through it like a hot knife cut butter to dispel his cover; but he was right there in front of her and caught her sword arm's wrist in an iron grip. "What if I want to continue where we left off at that party? _Before_ you tried to poison me..." he grinned; his bloodred Sharingan were glowing maliciously.

The Kunoichi deadpanned: "Then I wouldn't believe you, obviously." Her free hand came up to flurry through a series of handsigns and break this layer with so much as a 'Kai'.

But Madara was already close and his grasp wouldn't loosen as he bent her arm behind her back until her shoulder protested in strain and threatened to dislodge from its joint; she refused to let go of her blade, though. "What if I want to have you succumb to me so I can claim the prize you promised but withheld on that night, Touka...?" she felt his hot breath have the hair at her neck stand on end.

Touka nimble-footedly twisted out of the too tight hold even if her hand was still stuck. "Bullshit," she retorted icily and used her rotation to swing her free arm in a horizontal slash while it transformed and elongated into the sharpness of an adamantine blade with the intent to decapitate.

He ducked through his own spinning move and forcefully hurled her along until he stopped her right against his chest when they were face to face again and grabbed her other wrist, too; his Sharingan cut through her Gen-jutsu this time and fixated on her. "What if the mere thought of reducing this strong-willed and battle-bred Kunoichi to the confines of a duly obedient wife, my wife, actually gives me a hard-on?" he breathed too close into her ear.

Inside Touka was seething with killer intent and by now it was starting to seep through her countenance of steel as she could feel his body press against her to put emphasis to his outrageous provocation. So she actually let it out and gave it a solid form of a nightmarish spectre flaring tall from her body before viciously leaping at Madara to devour him and shred him to bits. "In your dreams!"

However, he just laughed ludicrously and tore through her attack like ravenous claws stripping off scraps of cloth with swirling Mangekyo. "Yes, in my dreams," his mocking voice rang in her ears, "...but I'll generously share them with you, my dear Touka." The bleeding horizon dipped and fell into blackness until her back hit the frozen soil of her training grounds when the weight of his tackle squeezed the air out of her lungs.

Instantly she twisted and wiggled her fingers at odd angles with the intention to break one or two of them; unless Madara wouldn't let her and wrapped his hands tightly around hers. "Now, now. Easy there...can't let my bride get hurt, can I?" he chid sardonically, knowing he was intercepting her attempt at escaping his next Gen-Jutsu.

"Why would you even think...I'd ever be your bride?" Touka gritted her teeth and bent her legs to kick his offending privates tenting against her abdomen until he would have to search for them inside his nose for weeks.

Except her feet melted into the frozen ground that suddenly felt so heated against her spine as if the sungoddess was grazing her bare skin with aethereal fingertips. "What if I told you your clan chief has already agreed to this union?" Madara grinned smugly while he pressed down harder onto her body.

"Lies," the Kunoichi hissed while trying to free her limbs and conjure another Gen-jutsu to throw him off and gain range again. Hashirama-sama wouldn't do that to his longtime advisor and warlady; and Tobirama would surely intervene, too, wouldn't he?

' _Just be careful not to look too deeply into his Sharingan...'_ his warning voice belatedly echoed through her mindscape like a dim lighthouse flashing in the thickness of icy mist. "Enough of this folly!" her Gen-jutsu experienced mind rebelled against his strong illusion.

"Ah...but I can't wait to have you, Touka, my proud and strong Senju warrior-bride, bear me lots and lots of black-haired and Sharingan-eyed Uchiha babies," Madara silver-tongued hoarsely and invaded her mouth before she could bite off her tongue.

Instead Touka froze for a second when her violently dispelled shadow clone's memories seeped into her; quietly something inside her heart froze, too. Then she continued to stoically drink her tea as if nothing happened. But as soon as her cup was empty she stood.

"Something the matter, Touka-san?" Youko sniffed and blinked curiously at her while Hotaru calmly nibbled at her tea biscuits behind her huge silken shawl draped around her face as if she had the flu. Kadohime narrowed her shrewd eyes on Touka from across the table but stayed silent and only barely nodded.

"Excuse me for today. We'll continue this another time," Touka calmly inclined her head in a faint gesture of greeting to the clan ladies; then she left the Kissaten in decisive but unhurried strides.

When she arrived at her quarters a few minutes later the place was deserted and seemingly untouched, she perceived after a long look around in the twilight. Yet still she shivered as her cold breath condensated to chilly clouds and she crouched to her knees where her blade lay lost and forgotten in the hoarfrost.

Gen-Jutsu or not, the fire-breather would pay with his life, the seasoned Kunoichi silently swore when she picked up her steel with aching cold fingers. She would win this war no matter what!

* * *

Touka didn't sleep that night; and she didn't sleep the following nights either until the point where she was bordering on being insomniac. Instead she lay awake on her cot plotting her counterstrike until she became restless enough to get back to work.

Whetting her blades was a soothingly meditative motion, that was filled with a cold and deathly purpose.

In the meantime her daily training regimen became fiercer and fiercer, and Touka didn't care if it was hailing in storms or in the middle of the night when she was out there soldiering on until her limbs were frozen numb until it hurt when she soaked her body in the steaming baths afterwards and curled her icy hands around her midsection for warmth. She took her Kunai to the Onsen nowadays, too, and made sure to leave for more training before Youko and Hotaru even arrived.

When she patrolled the streets of the village she saw hundreds of traitor-faced legions pass her by like ghosts haunting the place and looming like a guillotine above Hashirama-sama's and Tobirama's heads; and Touka just couldn't have that. She would keep the both of them safe from everyone, even her own subordinates or kin. Second thoughts blooming with the poisonous ice flower of doubt turned familiar faces into strangers, possible foes-...traitors.

Before the (in her eyes too soft) secret assassination squad crumbled like melting snowflakes beneath her hands and became infested with the germs of treason something needed to be done, and soon.

The civilian blacksmiths became her only 'shopping indulgence' and quite soon they knew her by her first name; she brought a new weapon every time she went to town, which became a scarcer and scarcer occurrence the more she alienated herself from the community, mentally and physically. And she had already hoarded enough weaponry to equip a small army, Tobirama opined the last time he visited.

He seemed to have the impression that something was off but Touka nonchalantly thwarted that with donning him a wreath of venus hair, corn flower, poppies, iris and peach blossoms and whistling the one tune that would forevermore make him embarrassed. Tobirama quickly left her to her schemes after that, but not before dropping off another damned gift basket of lemons.

Glumly she bit into one of the yellow fruits without flinching to gather more resolve for what she realized during one of these sleepless nights... Finding what she needed her gaze turned even colder and she chucked the lemon into her pail.

But who could Irakusa use for her even darker purpose? Who could she swear into her secret allegiance and hers alone?

Jigitarisu, Sanzashi, Tsubaki, she decided for now after another few insomniac nights of standing silently sentry over the sleeping village. And thus she summoned the three Kunoichi to a most clandestine midnight-gathering at her quarters from which they would either emerge sworn into her circle or as a neat puddle of mush solubilized by acid...


	11. Tales from the Trenches

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hey there!_

 _A new month - a new chapter. This time I can definitely tell you that the story will have 22 chapters in total. So with this one we've reached halftime. I hope you enjoy what you're about to read._  
 _Have fun!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 11: Tales from the Trenches**

New Year's came and went fast; the couple of festive days passed her by like the fluttering impressions of a distant dream - unreal, alien, and gone within the blink of an eyelash as if they never were.

Surely, Touka dutifully attended the official gathering of her clan; but even when she watched her kin merrily chit-chatting about war anecdotes and stuffing their faces with the women's handmade traditional New Year's dishes and getting properly wasted with gallons of Sake, her mind was elsewhere looming in the shadows for her prey.

She ought to be out there... standing sentry, hunting traitors, burrying her hands in her enemies' chests and ripping their hearts out so she could offer them still steaming and fresh to the god of war and death instead of treking along to the shrine to pray to the affiliated deity for peace and love and happiness.

Such blasphemy.

The warrior couldn't even pretend to herself to believe in peace and happiness; nontheless she accompanied a quite three sheets to the wind Tobirama-dono, who stubbornly insisted on leaving the party early and drinking the Sake at the overcrowded shrine and ringing the chimes together and praying for the good of their village and getting their fortune told, like the loyal guard she was with an impassive face.

"Aw, man," Tobirama tipsily huffed as they inched their way through the swaying throng of people, "and here I thought at least today I would get to see you unwind and dress like everyone else..." He slightly bumped into her shoulder. "You've been so glum lately, too."

Touka gripped the hilt of her sheathed blade strapped to her hip tighter while her scrutinizing gaze flitted across the countless faces of possible threats to her clan chief's brother's life. "I'm not wearing my usual battle armour today, am I?" she replied calmly and with her thoughts sunken deep in the penumbraic shades of plotted murder and ghastly echoes of death-gargles.

He poked her cheek with his index finger, a sure sign that he probably shouldn't have that Sake after all... "Oh, come on, Touka. You're neither a man nor a shrine maiden; women are just not supposed to wear Hakamas... whatever happened to that Yukata you wore at the anniversary party? Never seen you wear it again ever since."

"Last time I checked you disagreed with the colours and floral patterns, Tobirama-dono, did you not?" she answered unpertubed and squinted ahead for suspicious movements and treacherous glances, which spoke of shrouded danger. Cold twilight darkness was seeping into her the longer they stayed.

"That's so totally beside the point..." Tobirama grumbled into his non-existent beard. Soon enough his drunken mood lifted again when he received his too highly priced cup of hot Sake and downed it with a contented grin while they were waiting in line in front of the altar and murmured their 'Happy New Year's' to everyone who recognized Tobirama-dono... which was nearly the whole merry crowd since he was so committed to the village and its development by now.

"Ah, that was totally worth it; the perfect New Year's. We should do this every year together, don't you agree?" he slurred and his drunken crimson stare lit with the grin spreading across his features. Touka couldn't share his relaxed sentiments though; her unwavering and watchful presence next to him was humouring him enough.

"Let's get our fortunes told next!" Tobirama exclaimed, grabbed her at her elbow to drag her towards the stand and paid for the both of them. She calmly followed and accepted the folded paper from his offering hand in silence even though she didn't believe in these kind of things. "And? What does it say?" he asked curiously and scooted closer to peer over her shoulder at the piece of foretold future in her grasp. If he wasn't so wasted, Tobirama surely wouldn't be this informal with the Kunoichi ever, regardless of how long they had known each other.

'War is coming; and you'll receive lots of lemons this year again?' Touka mused to herself with a wry smile forced into one corner of her mouth. She did not need a paper to tell her that though.

"Bad luck. General outlook: You're forced to walk a dangerous path and make inconvenient decisions. Be careful with whom you bother; people might not always turn out to be who they seem. The loss of something or someone dear to you is imminent. Love prospect: Chances are buds of tender feelings might sprout with the person next to you. Things will keep getting in your way of pursuing these feelings and you can't be sure of their true intentions about you, though," he read aloud when Touka kept quiet.

Basically what she had already assumed; maybe she should have become a part time fortune teller with her pinpoint accuracy...ha.

"Aww, that sucks," Tobirama commented and patted her shoulder sympathetically, "at least we're in this together, right? See, I got the same..." He waved his fortune into her face for evidence and flashed her a lopsided drunken grin. "Makes it only half as bad, I think...and haven't we always fought side by side, you and I?"

The Kunoichi sighed and let her wary gaze wander over the people wandering about and search for hints of dark motifs. "I remember..." she murmured quietly, somberly, "we used to slash quite a row of Uchiha throats and guts and the constant crimson rain was pooling up to our shins not so long ago."

Touka then looked at him sternly. "Since you got what you came for let's go back to my place...I need to discuss something with you, Tobirama-dono." He simply nodded mirroring the seriousness she showed him and within the blink of an eyelash he transported them into the confidential seclusion of her heavily armoured quarters.

And while she prepared him another Sake she dropped the bombshell the size of a bijuu dama with so much as a deadpan: "Because I can't trust anyone anymore, I founded a secret assassination squad of double agents loyal to me alone within Mito's and my secret assassination squad to keep Hashirama-sama safe from the shadows and to eleminate every possible threat and traitor and enemy to the Senju, beginning with Madara Uchiha and ending with the whole Shinobi world conspiring against us..."

He simply gaped.

"Why-...why are you telling me this...if you can't trust anyone?" he rasped at last while he sobered up within seconds of these revolutionary news.

"Because you're the only exception, Tobirama-dono; I know you like the back of my hand and you know me," Touka quietly conceded and locked eyes with him while she placed an iris, a white rose and venus hair into his hands; she was dead serious about this and his reaction showed her that he understood. "...and I want you to mark my people as mine with your Hiraishin seal like you did to me back then. So you, too, know who is on our side in this war."

Tobirama nodded just as grimly.

"Who would have thought that our fortune would already come true so early in the year?" he later scoffed when he downed the Sake and even Touka managed a faint smile at that.

* * *

As soon as the frost receded Touka spent even more time outside her quarters honing her skills and sharpening her blades in the weak winter sun; mostly she kept to herself and could go all out until she practically dropped with exhaustion, but sometimes members of her squad would join her in training if they were not busy with missions or their surface life as clan brats, bored wifes or grey eminences.

Jigitarisu came most often nowadays, which was not very surprising; she was an orphan after all. And as soon as Touka had made the teenager one of hers she had opened up to her squad commander gradually and took her new duty even more serious than before.

Probably Jigitarisu also wanted to prove herself worthy of Touka's decision to clear her for the secret squad within the secret squad when she was ready in attendance and pottering about the greenhouses and poison cabinet more often than not. Maybe Chiyo just wanted company from someone she looked up to...

The wary warrior quietly approved of her efforts regardless.

One of these days Chiyo had just gone outside to fetch something from the greenhouse, when Touka heard hastened footfalls approach her quarters. Instantly alert she grabbed one of her many blades, hid it in the folds of her sleeves and waited with bated breath by the door. But instead of an ambusher it was Kinka who stumbled into the room. Blood smeared and sobbing hard she dropped to the ground before Touka, her convolvolus mask thrown to the ground along with a bloody bundle.

"What happened?" Touka wanted to know, as she unwrapped the bundle and found a head inside the soiled cloth - the daimyou's head.

But Inoko cried for the longest time hugging herself protectively until she was able to say something intelligible. "Irakusa-taichou...I...I did as you told," she gushed between sobs. "I infiltrated th-the daimyou's residence and everything was according to plan. Everything was fine. Then he...he invited me to his chambers. I thought, this was my chance to do the deed and get the information you wanted."

She heaved a shuddering breath before she continued. "I did as you taught me to, I made all the gestures as we talked. But then he...he suddenly grabbed me and pushed me to the ground. I told him to stop, but he wouldn't let go and I...I..." She cried harder. "I killed that disgusting bastard! Slit his throat and stabbed, stabbed, stabbed him until he didn't move anymore. And...and there was so much blood."

She lifted her hands and they trembled. "I killed him. So he can never touch me again. I was so afraid they might find me, so I took his head and fled as fast as I could. And I...I..." Inoko's voice broke as she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

Touka sighed and knelt beside the girl. "Did anyone see you?" When Inoko shook her head, she patted her shoulder and said: "Good. You did right to come to me first, Kinka. Well, technically your mission failed. But you came out of there alive and unnoticed. Let this be a lesson to you that all actions cause reactions." She gently nudged her shoulder. "Come now, take a shower and wash that blood off your hands. I'll make you some tea, so you can calm down. You can't go home in a state like this."

Inoko obediently followed Touka's directive, and after tea the older Kunoichi decided to let both the Yamanaka girl and Chiyo stay the night, so Inoko would feel safe in the company of her team mate and squad commander. Chiyo also helped Inoko deal with the shock of killing and being assaulted.

This incident told Touka that, indeed, actions caused reactions, and that they had to be cautions what steps to take. Kinka had been too eager to apply all of her skills, so the lecherous daimyou had responded to her signals too strongly and taken advantage of her. Which in turn had forced Kinka to kill the man. Of course, the daimyou's death caused a ruckus. Yet luckily, nothing could be traced back to their secret squad, Touka made sure of that.

* * *

And then one day an unexpected visitor appeared at Touka's threshold. She stopped and stared at the man. Black mane, red eyes. Instinctively Touka grabbed a Kunai hidden inside her sleeve, ready to attack.

But he just grinned at her goofily and held out a tattered bouquet of roses. "Touka Senju, Hashirama-sama's cousin, right? You're even more beautiful than I imagined," he laughed and scratched the back of his head. "I'm Makoto Yuuhi, nice to meet you," he bowed. "I believe you have heard that our clans want to tighten the bonds. And, well, now that I meet you I'm actually glad my clan chief chose me to marry one of Hashirama-sama's cousins."

For a moment Touka froze, memories of what Madara had done to her shadow clone flashed through her mind; memories of the malicious Gen-Jutsu he had caught her in, memories of how she had been kept prisoner in the Uchiha district, forced to be the devil's bride, forced to breed his children and do his bidding. And seemingly years had passed until she was able to finally kill herself and dissolve the shadow clone, which freed her from the nightmarish Jutsu that still thieved her sleep weeks and weeks later.

But Touka didn't betray any of this to the Yuuhi and just smiled. "Please, come in then. Would you like some tea?" she invited the unsuspecting man into her lair. He never saw the coldness flash in her eyes, as she prepared a most vicious Gen-Jutsu of her own.

And once she would be done with him he would think twice about ever suggesting anything like marriage to Touka again... she would make sure he would never dare set foot in her territory ever again!


	12. Preparation and Plotting

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hey!_

 _Here is chapter 12 already. And we get to see Mito again! Let's se how everything unfolds.  
Have fun reading._

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 12: Preparation and Plotting**

This time it was Touka seeking Mito out in her quarters in the Senju Tower, without a message, without any kind of warning. As soon as the doors were closed behind her Touka approached Mito with a stern gaze. "What was that?" she asked calmly, but the fierce glint in her eyes told that she was not in the best of moods.

Mito blinked, confused. "What was what?"

"The Yuuhi." She focused on Mito as if she was going to eat her alive. "I know this is on you," she stated.

"Oh, he found you, then?" Mito asked, seemingly unaware of the undercurrent in the room.

"He found the fastest way out of my quarters...unfortunately," Touka replied with the faintest of smiles. Then she turned all serious again. "I very well am supportive of your plans to herd the sheep so we can sift through the dirt for some useful recruits," she said calmly, "...but I won't have you sabotage our squad by these shenanigans."

Mito very nearly rolled her eyes at the joke. That was so… Touka. She supposed she should have guessed. "A husband won't sabotage the squad. I have one," she added, clearly amused.

"The both of us have very different roles in our squad," Touka answered and arched a brow. "If you want me to do my job properly and get rid of our enemies and find all the traitors leave me out of this."

Mito sighed. "I'll admit perhaps Yuuhi wasn't the best match." That was an understatement, she thought with an inward snort. "But matches with the Senju and Uchiha are our means to roping in the best clans, and there aren't an infinite number of us. I hope that you could at least see my meaning. Maybe you could choose a husband that will improve your bloodline, or be helpful to you in some way? Or a complete idiot who wouldn't know left from right and stays out of your way…?" she offered helpfully.

"I have cousins," Touka thwarted the idea like an annoying fly. "And I'm already about a decade over the traditional marrying time for a Kunoichi. Besides I'm already 'married' to my blades; I'm a warrior, I can't be a wife." Touka narrowed her eyes slightly. "So leave me out of this."

Mito sighed again, letting the matter lie for now. Perhaps if the right match came along… but for now… "Very well. It's just as well that you're here. I've just had an upsetting conversation with my husband." She pressed the back of one hand to her forehead, clearly exasperated. The thought occurred to her that this probably wasn't going to help her case with Touka's marriage one bit, but it couldn't be helped.

Touka arched a brow. "I really hope you don't see me as a relationship counsel or an agony aunt…" she seemingly was calmer now that the topic of her marriage was off the table.

"Why, are you an expert?" she asked dryly.

"I don't think I'll give you hints at how to get rid of my clan chief, Mito," Touka grinned ferally but threw her a warning glance that said she was more than intent on protecting Hashirama.

"Not that I don't appreciate your concern, Touka-san… but it's not like that. Hashirama and Madara met. It seems our village has a name: The Village Hidden in the Leaves. And the leader has a name, also: Hokage. But you know what the worst of it is?" She winked open one eye to regard her visitor. "Hashirama is dead set on putting Madara in charge, and he swears not even Tobirama is going to be able to get him to say no." She groaned audibly.

"It's a deathtrap! I knew it from the start...the leaves are going to burst up in an inferno with a _Ho-_ kage who is an Uchiha!" Touka harrumphed and shook her head. "And Hashirama-sama wants to set up the fire-breather in this position...he has to be under the influence of the Sharingan, this is the proof. Otherwise it would be obvious to him that there can't be anyone else governing this pool of madness than the one founding it, the one leading it effectively for all this time," she stated. "So, if we now can be sure Madara has been plotting against Hashirama-sama all along, that he is a traitor...that everyone can see he's a traitor, we can openly act against him. It's a legitimate cause. We can even make this public and have the whole village witness the death sentence carried out," Touka mused aloud and started pacing up and down.

Mito was already shaking her head. "It's not as simple as that. We can't prove he is under Sharingan influence, even if we're certain, and for once, I completely agree with you, Touka-san. I suppose since we're in danger of being led by evil incarnate and you're here plotting its demise, that other thing must have fallen through?"

"Then we'll just have the others realize it...proof or no proof, if we can make it obvious Madara is the traitor and a threat to more than just the Senju, it will be his downfall. And maybe it will open Hashirama-sama's eyes for once…" Touka stated. "And it's always good to have more plans in action to make his death bulletproof," she said calmly. "It's war after all; so we're going to use all the ammunition we can get."

Touka's dodginess was starting to wear at her patience. For today, she'd ignore it, though. Too much had already happened, and she didn't have the energy to argue with the stubborn captain. "Yes," she murmured, almost as if to herself. "More plans…"

"We should get the others to spread rumour and make sure the villagers vote for Hashirama-sama as head of government instead. If he still insists on the Uchiha leading the village towards the hell of fire after their support, everyone will know something is wrong...and they'll point Madara out as traitor," Touka said on cue. "In the meantime we'll prepare further for another assassination attempt, a full force one this time with several backup scenarios so the fire-breather won't know where to cast his Sharingan at when his death hits him!"

"Right," Mito said, completely detached from the conversation, her thoughts elsewhere. "Good plan."

"I'll instruct the squad to spread word among their clans then...and to the civilians. It's good no one knows about our identities so we can mingle with the crowd. Also the different ages of our Kunoichi is to our advantage; people will believe it more when Hashirama-sama is praised by the kids and the clan leading generation alike…" Touka added. "It'll take a bit of time but Hashirama-sama is generally liked by lots of people here, anyways, so we're only fuelling the fire while we snuff the other one. In the meantime we should also try various feint-attempts so Madara will be driven into paranoia and alienating himself on his own...and when all comes crashing down we strike for real." She slammed her fist on her palm in a squashing noise.

Mito smiled, snapping out of it. "This is why I came to you, Touka-san," she said, feeling reassured. "I've started my rounds with the clan wives, so you should be expecting a response quite soon. In the meantime, if there's anything you need from me, you know where to find me. And Touka…?" She trailed off, not sure what to say. "Never mind," she dismissed.

"Good. I expected no less from you, Mokuren," Touka said with a grim smile. "But, actually, there is something I need from you, Mito..." she said and arched a brow as she paused for effect. "No more wedding shenanigans for me," she stated pointedly and turned around on her heels.

* * *

With this new information Touka had a lot to do. As Mito had said, more clan ladies started coming to the "coffee klatsch" meetings at the Kissaten - women and girls who were either kept out of the loop by the patriarchs of their clans or were worried about their husbands and fathers and brothers and sons. They were Kunoichi, alright, but Irakusa had to test them first and swear them into loyalty to their cause before she could deploy them to missions.

Touka informed Mito of the new recruits, but sent a secret message hidden in a tuft of iris, daisy, peach flower and chrysanthemum to Tobirama es well. She received a basket of lemons in return.

Then the real training could begin. United by the same purpose their squad grew and became more effective as the Kunoichi learnt to team work and use the numerous combinations of their different Jutsus to their advantage. Touka observed everything and together with Sanzashi and Kinsenka she strategized the next steps.

"Other villages are forming. Now is the time to place some of ours amongst their people, so we can assess our enemies and react faster to imminent threats. Especially the desert region worries me," Kadohime Nara concluded. "Do we have Kunoichi who we can send there?"

Touka thought for a moment, until she conceded: "Jigitarisu would be the best choice. She is not bound by a clan, and no one will notice if she joins them." It was risky, and Touka didn't like to send one of her most loyal Kunoichi so far away. But she couldn't trust those who were not sworn to her alone as much as she trusted Sanzashi, Jigitarisu and Tsubaki now.

"Will Chiyo be okay, all alone in a different country?" Kanoko worried and looked at her mother.

Kadohime smiled at her daughter and ran a hand through her hair. "Remember, Jigitarisu has been alone for a long time and she knows how to take care of herself. She also has this team now and she's become a strong Kunoichi. We'll always support her from here," she reassured Kanoko.

Touka nodded grimly. "So it is decided. I'll prepare Jigitarisu for the mission to Suna."

* * *

If Touka thought she had made herself clear to Mito she was terribly mistaken. Because soon there came another fool knocking at her door, flowers in one hand and chocolates in the other, hoping to make Touka his wife. Like the Yuuhi Touka invited him in with a polite smile.

He didn't stay long though, and he outright fled her lair screaming like a little girl after Touka had shown him the horrors of her most malicious Gen-Jutsus and threatened him to use all of her manifold blades on him if he ever dared to come back again.

Because Mito was equally mistaken if she thought Touka would let herself be wedded off so easily. No, Touka was determined not to end up as a wife. She was a warrior, she was a Kunoichi, she was squad commander Irakusa. She had vowed to protect Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-dono at all cost.

Defiantly she sent Mito a bouqet of marguerites, oleander and primula auricula. She wished she could add dahlias to the mix, so Mito would let her be. But she couldn't; there was no lover at her side, and probably never would be. Bitterly she bit a chunk out of one of Tobirama's triple cursed lemons.

* * *

And then there was Kasumi Uchiha, the woman who Mito wanted to be tested so she might become a part of their team. Inwardly Touka bristled at the thought that an Uchiha would join them. Spy, traitor, foe, her instincts screamed at her. But for Mokuren's sake Irakusa would give her the benefit of the doubt. But only as long as she didn't reveal herself to be the enemy the Uchiha always had been.

Touka met Kasumi at the new hospital building. "You are going to do my hiring interview, right? I'm Kasumi Uchiha," she introduced herself and bowed politely. Touka only inclined her head and eyed the devil in disguise warily. Kasumi smiled. "I feel so honoured that Mito-sama considered me. Every Medic-Nin looks up to her. To work under her is a dream come true," she gushed.

"I see. Have you had a tour of the facilities yet?" Touka forced a smile into the corners of her mouth and invited Kasumi in.

"Not yet," she said and followed Touka into the darkness of the lobby. How naive. The door fell shut with a rumbling thud like a mousetrap. Kasumi startled but walked on as Touka beckoned her through the corridors and into one of the treatment rooms. "I can't wait to work here. Wow. This is the latest equipment. Everything is so forward-looking. Just imagine how many people we can heal here," she still smiled.

But she cried out as suddenly the straps of the treatment couch shot forward, latched onto her wrists and ankles and pulled her onto the treatment couch. She tried to free herself but to no avail; Touka's Gen-Jutsu was stronger. Another strap covered Kasumi's eyes before she could use her Sharingan. "What the hell is this? What are you doing to me?" she panicked.

Touka grinned wickedly. She would have fun putting the Uchiha to the acid test. "Let's start the interview, shall we?"


	13. The Rise of Evil

_Chaos herself' note:_

 _Hey!_

 _Here is a new chapter for you and without further ado I leave you to it._

 _Well, one thing I do have to say about a comment a guest has left on chapter 12: Kasumi is indeed much more harmless than Touka and Mito, but especially Touka is very opinated about the Uchiha._

 _Anyway._  
 _Enjoy and have fun reading!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 13: The Rise of Evil**

"I can't believe that actually happened!"

Tobirama swept into Touka's chalet with the force of a tsunami. He seemed restless, despaired even. The Kunoichi approached him and pushed a cup of steaming hot tea into his hands.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

He paused, sipped on the tea and harrumphed. "Madara, of course," he begrudgingly murmured and blew into the cup, before he drank some more. The calming blend would soon soothe him.

Touka waited for him to continue and was awarded with a still exasperated Tobirama: "Guess what! When the Kyuubi was unleashed, he managed to control it with his Sharingan. Imagine the havoc he could wreck with it! And Hashirama still wants him to become Hokage. The terror-reign of the Uchiha is imminent, and I can't do anything about it."

He paced up and down until Touka blocked his path and held up a bouquet of valeriana and iris for him to take.

She was calm as this was no shocking news to her. She had already had time to come up with a plan, together with Sanzashi and Kinsenka. Therefore she said: "Nothing is set in stone yet. My people are already preparing for a vote. Let's have the villagers elect Hashirama-sama as Hokage. And then we'll see how Madara reacts." She thought for a moment. "That he can control one of the Bijuu is an imminent threat, indeed. But there are ways to contain the Kyuubi. If Madara brings this weapon to the party, we'll just have to seal it before he can destroy the village. I believe the Uzumaki are reknown for their sealing art. Why don't you ask your sister-in-law about it? She might be able to help."

Tobirama sighed and sipped again on his tea, as he twirled the flowers in his free hand. "You always have a solution to everything, is that it?" he said, reassured.

She winked at him, a wicked little smile on her lips. "Never underestimate the ways of a Kunoichi," she smirked and produced a tuft of belladonna.

He shook his head and chuckled quietly. "Thanks for the tea," Tobirama murmured and turned on his heels. "If you need help with that election, let me know." He simply disappeared and Touka only smiled to herself, crafty as a cartload of monkeys.

"Let's get to work then."

* * *

Days later they were in the middle of preparing for the election. Tobirama had handed a detailed list of all inhabitants of Konohagakure to Touka, and the girls were now writing the ballot papers and sealing them, so each and every villager would be able to vote. The election should be fair; everyone just had one vote and every vote should count the same. In theory.

"Do you really think it's a good idea to write down Madara Uchiha as candidate?" Rinshi Akimichi frowned, worried, and stopped writing for a moment.

"Hashirama-sama wants him to become Hokage, so we have to put him up there. But that's actually good for our cause. With the devil as alternative, even more people will be inclined to vote for Hashirama-sama," Touka explained as she prepared the voting boxes.

"I see," the girl nodded and smiled, then continued to write. But Inoko Yamanaka asked: "Then why putting Tobirama Senju up there as well?"

Touka grinned mischievously, but chose not to answer. She placed a well hidden Jutsu inside the voting boxes that would turn every tenth vote for Madara into one for Tobirama. Not that she thought he needed the extra votes. But Hashirama-sama would need an advisor; she might as well push his brother for that position. "Don't dilly-dally about! There are still so many ballot papers left. And we need to spread word even more."

The girls answered as one: "Yes, Irakusa-taichou!"

* * *

Touka met Kadohime Nara, Youko Inuzuka and Hotaru Aburame for tea at the local Kissaten. While they chatted for everyone to hear about the upcoming election and praised Hashirama-sama for what he had done for the village already and that it wouldn't have been possible without him, they secretly sent each other messages by pointing at the various flowers in the opulent bouquet sitting in a vase at the centre of the coffee table.

So much was clear: if Madara was able to control the Kyuubi, something had to be done and fast. They needed to change plans and come up with a solution to the Uchiha issue. But this was a village-internal problem. There were also threats from the outside, which needed to be investigated. Other villages might be interested in attaining the Bijuus' powers and using them against Konohagakure, too.

Touka decided to deploy Tsubaki and Kinka for reconnaissance missions. She could only afford to send those two as the others were needed for the preparation of the vote.

Their squad certainly lacked manpower - or womanpower, so they would also use the mingling with the villagers to recruit more clan ladies and even a few civillians who were interested in becoming Kunoichi. But they had to be extra careful so they didn't disclose their secret squad to the wrong people.

That was when two new customers entered the Kissaten and cautiously approached the quartett. "Senju-sama?" a demure voice made herself known, and when the four Kunoichi turned their heads towards them, the two women bowed politely. "I'm Kyouko Hyuuga and this is my sister Raiko. It's a pleasure to meet you. Uzumaki-sama sent us to meet you and... join you for tea."

Touka shared a glance with Sanzashi, and when she slightly inclined her head, she grinned at the two Hyuuga ladies: "Well, then. It's a pleasure to have you, Kyouko-kun, Raiko-kun. Please, have a seat." She picked a stem of lilac from the vase and toyed with it in her grasp.

"Thank you, Senju-sama," Kyouko murmured, and the sisters sat with the other clan ladies. "Oh, these violets, aconites and white roses are really beautiful," she observed and smiled.

Touka undersood their message, and so did the other three. She leaned in conspirationally and smirked. "Glad you like them. I think they make a nice bouquet together with this venus hair and lavender, don't you?" When they nodded, Touka continued with a raised voice: "But back on track. We were currently discussing the upcoming vote and why Hashirama-sama is the best choice. Any opinions?"

* * *

Later that afternoon Touka invited the two new recruits over, so she could test herself if the Hyuuga sisters were really as loyal as they claimed. And seemingly they were.

So Touka deployed Bara (rose) and Sumire (violet) on their first mission to investigate if other Shinobi villages had sent spies to Konohagakure right away; their Byakugan would be useful to detect strangers, more specifically significant Chakra signatures among the civillians, that told them they were Shinobi instead.

In the meantime Touka summoned Tsubaki and Kinka to tell them their mission details. While the Hyuugas would secure their home, these two Kunoichi would delve into enemy territory and do reconnaissance. Inoko could use her Shintenshin no Jutsu on birds, so she could approach and observe inconspicuously, while Hotaru had her even more unobtrusive Kikaichuu to gather the intel. Therefore the both of them were able to stay away from dangerous situations and find out about what the enemy was doing without being noticed - if everything went according to plan, of course.

But Touka was convinced they would succeed; they had to! Or else they would be oblivious to the many threats and enemies out there, falling prey to their schemes and running into their riven jaws and poisoned blades as the whole Shinobi world conspired against Konohagakure. Touka was convinced that this was true. So she had to do everything within her power to prevent it from happening. And with her growing squad - and especially those few sworn into her circle - she would!

After the Kunoichi had left for their missions, Touka wrote two messages that included the identities of Bara and Sumire - one sealed into a stinging nettle and one sealed into a peach flower so both recipients knew who these messages were from. To the peach flower she also added the ever present iris and white chrysantemum. Then she busied herself with making Kyouko's and Raiko's masks; they would soon need them for their missions.

As soon as she was done with her handiwork, Touka finally had some free time she could use to train some more. If Madara was going to use the Kyuubi against the Senju, and possibly against her, she had to be ready.

Fiercely she went through her various Katas, summoned a shadow clone to spar with and throw her strongest Gen-Jutsus at as she sustained those thrown back at her. The seasoned warrior soldiered on until it was so dark outside that she could barely see her own hands and she was exhausted enough to just drop where she stood.

Only then she went back inside and had a quick shower before she crawled into bed. But while her body wanted the rest, her mind was wide awake; the gears were turning so fast they were on the verge of catching fire. And it was fire that was on her mind: a burning Konohagakure, set ablaze by Amaterasu, torn asunder by a rampaging Bijuu and plundered by foreign armies. It was a recurring nightmare, but she didn't need to be asleep to envision it.

And she was determinded to never let it happen!

So Touka lay awake all night long and forged out and discarded plans, then made new ones. She would run them through Sanzashi soon, listen to the strategist's insight and adjust their schemes with her help. The vote had to be a success first. Then they could work on getting rid of the Uchiha threat and defending against the foes from foreign lands and within alike.

If only their squad had Hashirama-sama's blessing, if only they could act openly, if only she could glean strength from the whole Senju army... If only everyone would _see_ war was coming!


	14. Flowers Bloom and Flowers Wilt

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hello again!_

 _Glad you're still with me. :) In this chapter you should be ready for a farewell and a heartily welcome, and certainly for some preparation. Because, as you know, war is coming! ;)  
Enjoy and have fun reading._

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 14: Flowers Bloom and Flowers Wilt**

On her way to the blacksmith Touka overheard the civillians' chatter. The upcoming election was the topic of the day. Tobirama had officially introduced the plan, and everyone had jumped at the idea. Apparently there were many people afraid of an Uchiha reign, and even more people looking up to Hashirama-sama and rooting for him. So far it seemed as though their work would pay off. Hopefully. But they would see soon.

The warrior's senses were attuned to her surroundings generally; she assumed spies stealthed in every shadow and assailants lurked behind every corner. Watching her, waiting for an opening. But Touka wouldn't give them any. She was ready to fight, ready to kill and die for her cause, ready to face whatever the enemy might throw at her.

The Hyuuga sisters had found three spies during their mission, and together with Aconeito and Irakusa the two new recruits had eliminated the threats hands down. But if they were this successful on their first day of operation, there would be more enemies hidden among the crowd, Touka was sure.

As she walked the streets of Konohagakure the Kunoichi watched every face she met with caution; she was suspicious of their smiles and polite greetings, questioned their benevolence and innocence instinctively. They might be sent by the enemy or corrupted by them, bribed into obedience; spies, traitors.

Even the blacksmith, who greeted her by her first name and gave her a regular customer discount, might not be who he appeared. Still Touka grinned and chatted with him as if nothing was the matter. She would not give away her mistrust and therefore make the other person wary of her.

So she inspected the fine blades the man had on offer, always ready to chuck them at anyone who dared to ambush her as she noted on the sharpness, balance and angle of sharpening. Blunt. But it was still sufficient to kill a foe with. She would have a lot to do until they were as sharp as she liked them to be, though.

"I take all of these," she decided and placed an arm full of Kunai, Shuriken, Senbon, Yari, Wakizashi and Tantou on the counter.

"You seem to have grand plans, Touka-san. War is coming, right?" the blacksmith laughed, delighted, as she paid him. He stemmed his big fists on his hip. "Thank you and come again."

"Always, Shoutaro-san, always," she smiled back at him, winked and grabbed her acquisitions. She knew, he didn't believe in another war. But at least he would help her be ready when it came.

As the warrior marched back to her lair, she quietly dared anyone to come at her and have her test her new weapons. Nobody tied though. She was almost disappointed.

* * *

Bara and Sumire proved themselves quite efficient. As they had grown up and trained together, they had great teamwork. So Touka was quite pleased when they brought the heads of a group of five traitors, who they had exposed and eliminated.

This was the most progress in such a short amount of time they had made ever since their squad was founded.

But it was not enough. The squad commander was convinced, if there was one organised traitor group, there would be others. And they had to be caught before the election or else they might sabotage it.

Once Hashirama-sama's position as official leader of the village would be secured, everything would be easier, Touka assumed. Then everyone had to show their true colours as they voted - and their squad would finally know who sided with the Uchiha and who stood by the Senju; they would know who to watch closely and who they could consider their ally for now.

However, allies were few these days. And one of them was about to sally. Touka had prepared Jigitarisu to the best of her abilities, so the girl would be able to live in a desert region and fend for herself as she was on her own. Together they had devised a cover story for her that would also ensure her viability in a foreign village. She would still be an orphan, a street artist, harmless. Jigitarisu's weapons of choice would be poison and wire if she ever had to defend herself or found opportunities to get rid of Konohagakure's enemies inconspicuously.

On the evening before the youngest Kunoichi of their squad's leave Inoko, Rinshi and Kanoko thew a little farewell party for Chiyo; Touka humoured them and led the way. Chiyo was currently 'saying goodbye' to the plants in Touka's greenhouse when the teenage girls and their squad commander surprised her and moved her to tears; in the end Chiyo was a kid after all. But even while she cried, she smiled, happy to have found friends here: "Thank you." She hugged each of them once, even Touka.

Later they sat together in Touka's chalet, drank tea and rememberd their time together as a team. Chiyo showed her comrades the equipment she and Touka had crafted for her life in Suna: a puppet theatre. So the girl did her very first puppet show to thank her three friends and mentor. Chiyo enacted the story of their squad with her puppets. She was a good story teller, but had a pitch dark humour. At the end of the show all of the puppets had been killed. The three clan girls were quite shocked.

"Just kidding," Chiyo chuckled. Touka crossed her arms and smiled to herself. She didn't have to worry about Jigitarisu, she figured. And she would have a very capable spy in Suna.

* * *

But as soon as Jigitarisu was gone, Touka needed to find a replacement here in Konoha. As she generally intended to place Bara in a team with Tsubaki and Aconeito, Sumire was free to act on her own. So Touka summoned Sumire secretly to her quarters. The initial test and missions had convinced the wary warrior that she could put her cautious trust in Raiko Hyuuga.

"I feel most honoured to be of your service, Irakusa-taichou," Sumire bowed deeply before her, then she received Tobirama's Hiraishin seal, as he was present at this most clandestine meeting as well. Touka had insisted, for he should know who was part of her circle, too. The same applied to Sanzashi and Tsubaki, the other members of her team within the team.

* * *

A few days later the whole squad - minus Mokuren, whose identity was still a mystery to all of the Kunoichi present, except Touka - met at their favourite Kissaten for tea.

"Ladies," Touka called for attention as she approached the table of chatting women and grinned, as crafty as a cartload of monkeys. "May I introduce the newest addition to our regular 'coffee klatsch' meeting?" She stepped to the side and put the Kunoichi behind her into focus.

Demurely the woman bowed and shyly smiled at them. "Pleased to meet you all. I'm Kasumi Uchiha," she murmured and blushed, clearly embarrassed to see the other clan ladies exchange meaningful glances.

Sanzashi raised a brow at Touka, but said nothing. Her daughter and her friends whispered. But Youko Inuzuka was the first to break the ice and waved at Kasumi: "Over here, Kasumi-san. You can sit next to me."

"Thank you," Kasumi nodded eagerly and hurried to Youko's side, happy to join the group.

Touka nodded at her approvingly, then sat between Kadohime Nara and Hotaru Aburame. "For now she's cleared. But I want you to keep her under surveillance. If she tries something funny, don't hesitate to kill her and her brat," she whispered into Hotaru's ear and the Aburame heiress nodded. Then she shot Kadohime a reassuring glance. "Well, then," Touka raised her voice for everyone of their group to hear, "Let's order some tea and welcome our new member heartily!"

The Kunoichi applauded, and once everyone had their cups filled the merry chatter began. Kasumi was well recceived and soon she started to open up and engaged in the conversation like she had always been part of their group.

'Yuri' would be a good addition to their cause as she could provide insight into the Uchiha district and findings regarding Madara's schemes, Touka had concluded. And because she was eager to work under Mito at the hospital, they had now another healer up their sleeves, who could fill in the gap Jigitarisu left behind regarding her knowledge about poisons. Her lily-mask was already out of the oven and ready to be worn.

For now Touka gave Kasumi the benefit of the doubt after the thorough acid test, but she still didn't trust the Uchiha, even though she seemed genuinely loyal to the Senju. Which was why she set Tsubaki at Kasumi's heels. Then again, she mistrusted almost everyone these days.

Her clandestine circle consisted of only four Kunoichi, of which one was on a faraway journey from which she was likely never to return. Alas, even towards these four people Touka felt slightly wary. Was there even someone, anyone at all, she could truly trust beside Tobirama and herself?

The lilac was overgrowing her chalet, and she watered it day by day, poured her doubts onto it, and the fragrant flower thanked her by blooming splendidly.


	15. The Difference between Magnolias and

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hey there!_

 _In this chapter Mito and Touka bond some more. Come, see for yourself how those two very different Kunoichi deal with the current situation!  
Enjoy and have fun reading._

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 15: The Difference between Magnolias and Stinging Nettles**

Mokuren swept into the room, the wind blowing the door shut behind her. As soon as the door was shut, she jerked off the magnolia-mask and heaved a great sigh of relief. "Do you have a bucket? I think I might be sick." She did, indeed, look a little green around the gills. "Please…"

Touka was busy at her worktop again but she wordlessly pushed a pail Mito's way where already some kind of intestines had been dumped. "You pregnant or what?" she said calmly and continued her work like the first time they met. "Good you're here, though...would've sent you a message anyways," the Kunoichi murmured quietly while her eyes were trained on the object she was working on.

"Hold that thought," she managed, hugging the bucket closely. Then, seeing what was inside it, she was thoroughly and noisily sick, just as promised. Minutes later found her panting and pushing the bucket as far away as possible. She took a moment to compose herself, feeling completely out of sorts. "Wish it was just a pregnancy," she breathed, trembling. "I'd welcome it. Sorry for my inelegant display… there isn't anywhere else in the world right now that it's safe to be myself. I… might have ruined everything. Or saved us all, I can't decide which." She slumped into a chair, heaving deep breaths and sweating.

Touka diligently kept on working while Mito emptied her belly. "I see the fresh recruits puke their guts out all the time; don't worry about it," she thwarted that off seemingly disinterested. But after Mito's next words she quietly put the contraption down, slowly straightened her back and turned around to face her guest. "Elaborate on that," Touka said in her wary, deadly calm Irakusa-voice.

"I sent Madara a message," she recounted. "And he answered. I think we might finally be getting somewhere. Or maybe you are getting somewhere. I might be in trouble." She dodged, hoping not to have to say anymore or risk getting sick again. She gave Touka a look, daring her to give insult when she was in such a mood.

"As far as I knew, the both of us had an agreement that you'd stay put when it came to Madara," Touka slowly said. She was so calm it almost seemed eerie. "Why are you sending him a message now, and what does it say?" she inquired. Maybe this was even worse than the insults that might or might not come...

"Madara is able to control the bijuu," she countered, annoyed, "with that damnable eye jutsu of his. I had to do something. Didn't I? With my… 'small hands'? There wasn't any time to form a plan of action. I needed to step in. You needn't look so dour. I was successful, in a way." She took a deep breath, trying to calm the swell of nausea. "I sent him a saffron lily," she said quietly. "Please, don't make me speak any more of it. All you need to know is that Hashirama saw… but he found the damnable lily, too." She shut her eyes, trying to block out the memories of the past several days.

"Why did you let him get a look at your bijuu so he could bewitch them like he bewitched your husband?" Touka stated more than asked; and her calm demeanor still lasted on. "Why didn't you tell me, Mokuren? Are we not in this together? Don't you trust me to take care of the matter?" she seemed more distanced than enraged. "Can't you let an unmarried Kunoichi handle this before you ruin your life and everything you hold high...your husband?" She sighed and knelt in front of Mito to look her in the eye. "If you're in a hurry walk slowly; if you're in a haste have a break," she told her quietly and took one of her hands into her gauntlet gloved ones. "Let this be a lesson to you...and let me handle this mess from now on while you busy yourself with mending your relationship with Hashirama-sama, and stick to the plan from now on," she calmly underlined.

"I was the only choice for this," she drawled. "And honestly, Irakusa, if I'd have thought that you actually cared, I might have thought to mention it. After our last few interactions, I wasn't sure…" She shook herself, clearing her thoughts. She smiled, adopting a different kind of mask. "It doesn't matter now. A chain of events has started, and we'll just have to make do." She placed her other hand over the cold steel.

"You're less of a lone she-wolf type than I am, don't try to act like one," Touka said. "We have two Naras up our sleeve by now; we could have found a different solution...in time. But we're going to rely on these resources this time when we're not standing by and letting everything unfold just like that," she continued with cold determination, "what's done is done. But we still can turn this around to our favour if we amend the plan and stick to it." She stood again and turned her back on Mito so she could pick up her Kunai and play with it in her hands. "We still have to make sure Hashirama-sama is safe...especially now that he's decided to gather more of our enemies," she said and added more quietly: "Besides...if it doesn't interfere with my priority I won't leave a comrade hanging."

Mito was reassured, and she found herself smiling, genuinely this time. "Well," she said after a time. "It wasn't a total loss. After all, the vote you maneuvered turned a positive result, as did some well-placed words from Tobirama-nii-san. It turns out Hashirama will be the First Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves after all. The first kage meeting is nearing. I'll have to go along, so… you'll be on your own for a while. Is there anything you need from me before I leave for it?"

"Yes," Touka said simply, "three things." She produced a Senbon. "Firstly, I think it's necessary that our squad is sufficiently present during that summit. Hashirama-sama will be surrounded by our enemies and we can't let him be exposed to any threat to his life. So I'll be coming along, as Irakusa," she said and snapped up a second Senbon between her knuckles. "Secondly, our squad would greatly improve if we started recruiting Shinobi from now on, too. It would make our work easier if we could access places and situations females couldn't enter so easily." Then a third Senbon appeared and when Touka spun around all of a sudden the needles embedded themselves with centimetre-precision in front of Mito's toes in a straight line. "And thirdly...no more meddling with my lovelife!" she demanded.

Mito sighed and ignored that last bit. For now. "I think we can manage to get away with one or two of our number," Mito said slowly, "but no more than that. You can come alone or bring one other. I will be grateful," she admitted honestly, "for your presence there. Once rumors start to circulate about what I have stored away in these scrolls, anything could happen. I'll feel better to have you there. And you have my permission, Irakusa, to recruit who you think will most greatly benefit our cause, man or woman. I trust your discretion… we've been at this a long time without discovery, after all." She pointedly ignored the last comment. Gekko had been a fine choice if ever there was one. Perhaps Touka just hadn't given him the proper chance.

The Kunoichi nodded curtly. "I think of bringing Akoneito...without her Ninken, of course," she had her strength in mind. With the discretion completely left in her hands Touka seemingly felt no need to elaborate further if or who she had in mind. Thoughtfully she shuffled over to the other end of her worktop and pierced a lemon from her new gift basket with her Kunai, lifted the fruit and bit a chunk out of it without blinking. "Just make sure you don't run into the fire-breather for now...at least until the issue is taken care of," she added in midthought. "I declared it to be my war after all…"

Mito barely repressed a shudder, thinking of those hateful eyes. "Don't worry. The short-lived affair between Madara and I is over, as far as I am concerned." She laughed, watching her bite the lemon. "I've never seen anyone else in the world simply sink their teeth into a lemon," she mused aloud. "You must really enjoy them."

"These are especially grown for my sake, I believe…" Touka answered with a feral grin and took another bite before chucking the fruit into the bile-intestine blend in the pail. "Someone just knows how to make me happy…" She winked, then dusted off her hands. "You know what? We're going to have a sink in the Onsen now. You need the scrub; and I need the relaxation," she decided.

Mito's head tilted to one side, considering it. It was true, she hadn't had a chance to really unwind in a long time. "Actually, that sounds like a wonderful idea." It was then that Mito realized that the entirety of their relationship had been entirely businesslike, and maybe Touka wasn't as irascible as she initially thought.

If Touka had somewhere thought along of these lines it didn't show. However, she simply set in motion and apparently expected Mito to tag along, anyways. The fierce woman didn't talk much though once they left the secluded space of her quarters and were about to mingle with the other villagers.

Mito strode along at the captain's side. She felt awkward there, for the two of them had two entirely different walking styles and fashion. Despite that, it was also comfortable in a way. It did serve to help her realize, though, that she knew next to nothing about the other woman. Perhaps that was why they had experienced the random bouts of hostility…? "Touka-san… how long have you been fighting in the wars against the Uchiha?" she asked conversationally, knowing war was her favorite topic; that much, at least, was common knowledge.

Touka seemed indifferent at the odd pair they made walking next to each other. "As soon as I was capable of holding a blade, of course," she answered calmly. "I had to make sure Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-dono were safe as it is duty to every side branch member to protect the main branch…" Once they entered the baths she realized they were really on their own like Touka had estimated and hoped. Efficiently but a bit reluctantly she unfastened her battle armour as if she had to consider cutting a limb.

Mito noticed the reluctance and chuckled, feeling carefree and relaxed for the first time in… well, months. "We really are very different people, aren't we, Touka-san?" It was a rhetorical question, of course. It only took her a moment to strip and sink into the water, though she took care to hide her scrolls in the folds of her clothing. Her apparel did nothing to protect her body anyway. The water was utter bliss. Why didn't she do this more often? "You going to stand there all day?" she asked playfully.

Touka indeed took more time to undress the different layers of armory and finally she had to unbandage her wrapped abdomen beneath her clothes, too. She quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around the surprisingly quite feminine curves she kept meticulously hidden. "I'm not on a run, Mito," she replied calmly and undid her topknot before stepping into the hot water. "I don't usually retreat during war unless really necessary...so I'm not going to change my ways during a bath." Before completely sinking underwater she had to let go of the single layer of cloth covering her tattooed belly, though.

Mito noticed the careful way she hid, but assumed it was battle scars or a sensitive disfigurement, and politely chose not to bring up the matter. Everything about Touka seemed to be somehow related to war. As she sank up to her chin in the steaming bath, the question left her lips. "Can you tell me something about you that doesn't have something to do with war? I just realized that there's so little I know about you. We should be friends, don't you think?"

Once she was below the waterline with her midsection Touka seemed a bit more at ease and she made herself comfortable at one edge where she could survey the whole pool and entrance area. "Well…" she started quietly, "I do consider you my comrade…"

"Comrade?" she laughed incredulously. She shook her head. Touka really did seem to have a one track mind. "Don't you have any good stories? A brother or sister? A lover? A favorite pet? An embarrassing childhood mistake? I'll tell you something if you tell me." Her eyes glittered with mischief, feeling more herself in this environment. No prying eyes or ears, no one to impress… she found she actually did want someone to talk to. About everything. She kept too many secrets from too many people… might as well tell Touka.

"Yes," Touka simply said and blinked from the corner of her eyes at Mito as if ready to take back her minute sign of...well, trust immediately. Then she leaned back more and let herself be immersed in the relaxing warmth of the Onsen. "Most of my closest kin died sooner or later during the battles," she said as if she was talking about someone she hadn't actually met. "I did grow up around Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-dono, though…" she offered in an attempt to at least cover one of these questions.

Mito seemed to understand that Touka was uncomfortable sharing personal details, but hoped that sharing her own might alleviate some of the pressure. "I grew up in the Whirlpool Country," she offered candidly. "I was trained to fight, but I wanted to heal more than kill." She sat up, beginning to slough off dead skin and sweat. "When I was thirteen, the clan elder sent me to the Senju army." She shrugged.

"I'm aware of that," the Kunoichi stated and curtly dove underwater to drench all of her. "I overheard the elders talk about your medic-Jutsu once…" she added as an afterthought. Slightly she inclined her head and watched Mito relax. If it wasn't for her topics she seemed like a normal woman in this surrounding. "At first I wouldn't have thought they'd let the heir marry you, though...and Tobirama-dono was a bit nervous he might get picked instead," Touka remembered.

Mito arched one eyebrow, clearly hearing this for the first time. Once she had set her eyes on Hashirama, it was either him or no one at all. That didn't need to be said, though. "Did anyone say why?" she asked instead.

Touka glanced back levelly. "You know very well how your husband is…" she stated. "Once he got to know you a fraction there was no way he wouldn't marry you." She threaded her fingers through her long tresses to rinse them before she would wash them. "And his brother was quite relieved Hashirama-sama was so stubborn…"

Ah, yes, she thought. She did indeed know Hashirama was. Thinking of him brought back a twinge of regret, though… for he was back at home, waiting for her. Or maybe not. Sometimes he was, and sometimes he wasn't, now. "To think… they might have tried to stick me with Tobirama-nii-san," she said with a laugh. How very different life might have been…

"He seemed horrified at the mere thought of marriage at that time...he still is, I'm sure," Touka said and shrugged once. "I can understand where he comes from, though. We are both warriors looking out for the same person...only our reasons are different," she added quietly.

Mito suddenly had an odd thought. She had considered that Touka's personality was too strong and cool for a traditional marriage, and there had been times, on the road with Hashirama, when she'd had the same thought about Tobirama. But these thoughts, she kept to herself, and merely smiled. Touka had said so herself… she might as well be married to her blades. That didn't mean Mito couldn't… try… to impart some of the same happiness she'd found onto other people who deserved it. After all, she'd been as stubbornly single herself, once. "We should do this more often," she said at the end of long and contented sigh. Touka didn't seem to like to talk much… but maybe she would, given time.

"Bathing...or talking about your husband's past?" Touka replied with an arched brow and a slightly upturned corner of her mouth. "I come here almost every week...to meet up with Hotaru and Youko," she admitted and sunk deeper into the water. "But mostly I enjoy the time when no one else is here to disturb…" she trailed off.

"Bathing. And you invited me here…" Mito said carefully, misunderstanding.

"Yes, I did." Touka looked at Mito again as if she was studying every tiny feature. "I thought you might have wanted to wash that Uchiha off your body after all…" she said calmly. "At least I did after my encounters with him…"

She shivered, the hot water failing to hide the chill. "I could live the rest of my life in this Onsen, and still never wash the Uchiha off. The vileness… I feel as if I've swallowed it-" she had to fight the bile as she realized her words were more true than she intended, "-and I can't get rid of it. Do… do you ever feel that way?" she finished on a whisper.

Touka looked at her almost blankly, not even her eyes betraying a fraction of emotion. "I'm hundred percent Kunoichi...while you're also a wife, Mito," she said. "I can't afford to...feel anything about it. I don't have a right to have second thoughts...because of my duty, and because of what I devoted my life to, because of what I decided to sacrifice." Beneath the water her hands curled around the skin of her navel as if to protect it and shield it.

Mito's eyes widened. "You're a Senju… you have a right to whatever you want to have rights to," she voiced, not even daring to think that it might be otherwise. She frowned, returning to the other subject. "Why is it, though, that I don't flinch snapping bones with my bare hands, but I can't sleep after only a few moments with _him_?"

"It's because of who I am that I can't," Touka objected calmly, almost nihilistically. "It's because of what I just said," she answered and cautiously approached Mito slowly, "you're a different kind of Kunoichi than I am. You have a husband, you live your love and you have the freedom to choose your destiny, you have morals and ideals and the conscience of a woman in a relationship...it's natural that different things steal your sleep than mine." Her voice had adopted a reasonable tone and her eyes found back to life, even if her gaze was still as guarded as ever.

She met Touka's gaze levelly, considering the full weight of her words. She was right; of course she was. She took comfort in the knowledge that-although things were tense right now-she did have a husband. A damned good one, at that. But still… "Do you ever wish that things were different for you?" It was an honest question, born of simple curiosity.

As if Touka had realized the shift in Mito's perspective she nodded faintly. At the question, though, she looked just as impassive as she usually did. "I don't know it any different...and I have all I could ever hope for; that should be more than enough to do as expected of me," she replied calmly before she flashed a brief lopsided grin. "Besides...I do get lemons every other day, don't I? I can't ask for more in my life…"

"Lemons," she repeated dubiously. She laughed shortly. "Life gives you lemons… and you find perfect happiness, is that it?" Her smile was mirthful, completely at ease once again.

"War is coming. What do you expect?" She grinned and shrugged again. "At least I do get lemons at all...could be worse I think," Touka rolled her eyes and huffed in a clearly staged dramatic mimic. "On the other hand...I don't even believe in happiness," she then answered more seriously.

Hearing so made Mito sad, but she figured she had made Touka uncomfortable enough. "What do you believe in?" she asked, beginning to feel sleepy for the warmth.

Touka shot her a deadpan gaze. "That you should really know by now," she said and started washing herself before she repeated again: "War is coming; war is always coming… but this is more than belief, this I am certain of." Then she leisurely waded towards the other side of the pool. "I do believe, though, that we can win...if we work together."

Mito shook off the sleep and followed. "That, too, is more than belief. For I, too, am certain of that."

Before emerging from the water Touka stilled as if she had to consider baring her skin again. "I believe...in my only two comrades, too," she admitted very quietly, then stepped out and reached for her towel, blackness flashing briefly on her skin.


	16. Like a Phoenix from the Ashes

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hi!_

 _There is one thing I wonder about... Does this chapter seem a little rushed? Still I didn't want to bore you with repetive fights, so this is what I chose to do.  
Anyway, have fun reading!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 16: Like a Phoenix from the Ashes**

In the end Touka had been right after all. Her nightmare had come true, if only partially.

After Hashirama-sama had become Hokage, Madara had left Konohagakure without further ado, bitter and with words of wrath and vengeance spat from his mouth. Touka had expected that his clan would follow suit and run with their tails between their legs. But even after weeks the Uchihas had remained, albeit without their defective clan chief.

Kasumi had insisted they were part of the village now, accepted Hashirama-sama as head of government and thus loyal to him. Touka stayed suspicious.

But there had been no time to stop and ponder, no time to take a breather. Because soon Madara had returned, not to sing small and be accepted again but to bring destruction and chaos. Driven by hatred and vengeance he had summoned and controlled the Kyuubi as he had unleashed the tailed beast unto Konohagakure. He hadn't seemed to care that the rampaging Bijuu had killed his kin as much as people from other clans.

In turn, the Uchihas had fought their former clan chief side by side with the Senju army and the other clans belonging to the Village Hidden under the Leaves. Together the clans had succeeded in driving back Madara and the Kyuubi.

However the declared Nuke-nin kept coming back to try and wreck havoc again. His several attempts to anihilate the village that rejected him might have failed, but he'd still caused many deaths and much destruction.

Touka had fought like a lioness, and so had her squad. Inevitably their presence in this village had become known. But this was a good thing. People now knew there was a secret organisation watching them, guarding them, fighting for them.

* * *

These circumstances made it easier for Irakusa to acquire new recruits - Shinobi who had lost loved ones in the fights against Madara and the Bijuu or those who now saw the necessity for more safety and a force to ensure it. So after the third ambush their squad had grown quite a bit. And like Mito had said, structure really had come with manpower.

A particular boy was especially fond of Touka now as she had saved his life after the Kyuubi had slaughtered his parents and had been about to devour him next. When he followed Irakusa and insisted she should train him so he could avenge his parents, Touka finally suggested he join their organisation. He instantly was as keen as mustard.

After that the boy followed Touka even more around than Jigitarisu had. He was so eager to learn and he soaked up everything Touka taught him like a dry sponge a droplet of water on a hot summer day. He was younger than the girls, but it mattered not. Touka saw his potential regardless. She assigned the snapdragon-mask to Danzo Shimura, and he wore it proudly like the codename 'Kingyosou'.

* * *

In the meantime Knohagakure needed to be rebuilt and repaired. Everyone helped as much as they could, young and old, civillian and Shinobi, and thus the community still thrived and grew closer.

But as soon as Hashirama-sama had used his Mokuton to grow new houses and the craftspeople had completed his work in their own fashion, evil incarnate was back to tear everything down, or so it seemed. Yet Konohagakure always rose like a phoenix from the ashes as its people wouldn't give up so easily. And finally everyone opened their eyes and realised peace was but a dream, and war was reality. They had lived this dream far too long but Madrara's assaults had been enough to wake them and shake them.

Touka sighed a deep sigh of relief and put a grim grin on her face. This was the world as she knew it, with the only difference that the Uchiha - and all the other clans of this village - now fought side by side with the Senju instead of everyone against everyone.

By the time the village had burned down and been reconstructed seven times, even Hashirama-sama had to face the truth: Madara had never ceased to be the enemy. And so the Hokage had marched to the Final Valley to put an end to this chaos and fight his fiendish 'friend' while everyone awaited the outcome with bated breath.

Touka was in the middle of sharpening the blades she had used against the Kyuubi when she felt a familiar hand on her belly. Like always Tobirama used the Hiraishin seal to appear by her side.

Seeing his grim face she turned to Kingyosou, who was helping her clean the blades when she was done sharpening: "I'll do the rest on my own. Go outside and work on your Tai- and Nin-Jutsu. I'll have a shadow clone spar with you."

Danzo bowed and nodded. "Yes, Irakusa-taichou!" He obediently followed the clone outside. So Touka was alone with Tobirama.

"Well?" she asked and arched a brow while Tobirama put the gift basket of lemons on the worktop and slumped on a stool. Sometimes she wondered if he knew...

He sighed deeply. "It's over," he said levelly, as if someone had died.

And by the face he made Touca perceived, it was true. She approached him cautiously, studied his face. "What do you mean?" she queried almost gently.

Tobirama looked her in the eye and deadpanned: "Madara is dead."

The Kunoichi halted, blinked and tried to process the information. All this time they had been fighting, all this time he had been the ultimate enemy, the murderer of her family, the creator of her nightmares, the evil incarnate... and now he was dead? Gone, just like that? Everything was over? Her mind was reeling, but she did not feel satisfaction or relief at the prospect of Madara's death. Instead she felt empty and at a loss of purpose, deprived of her personal revenge. She hadn't expected these sentiments at all. Her mind pulled a total blank. "You're kidding," Touka blurted.

Tobirama shook his head. "I'm serious," he insisted, "I can show you his body if you don't believe me." He held out his hand.

"I need to see this for myself," Touka murmured and took his hand so he could transport them to the secret place where he had laid the body on a bier. Touka slowly approached and observed closely.

There really lay Madara; so still, so unmoving, so lifeless. Touka held her breath, watching for any sign that he might show the tiniest vital signs - daring him to breathe and suddenly shoot up and attack, daring him to disappear like a dispelled shadow clone. But he didn't move, he didn't breathe, he didn't...live.

Touka took off one gauntlet glove, reached out and cautiously poked his cheek. No reaction. He was cold to her touch.

Slowly it sunk in. This was real. It was really happening. She exhaled, produced a tuft of sweet pea and rosemary and quietly put it onto Madara's chest. At least this much respect she would show to her longtime arch enemy.

Tobirama had stood behind her and watched in silence, but now he approached and touched her shoulder. "I didn't know it would affect you this much," he whispered.

Only then Touka realized how true this was. She felt dizzy and nauseous, her hands were shaking. She didn't think she would feel this...stirred up seeing Madara's lifeless body. She had killed so many enemies during the wars and only in the very beginning it had affected her that much. As a kid it had haunted her in her sleep, but she soon had hidden her feelings until she had become cold and merciless enough to not feel _anything at all._ She had become a true Kunoichi.

And yet here she stood at Madara's bier, leaned into Tobirama's comforting touch and _cried_. Her tears were silent, and she didn't even know if they were tears of joy, of relief or tears of mourning for a lost longtime enemy - a lost purpose to direct her hatred and anger at.

She shuddered a sigh and dried her eyes before she regained her composure. "Let's head back to my place," she decided. "This war might be won, but another one is coming."

Tobirama nodded and teleported them back into her chalet. There she brewed them some calming tea and while they drank in agreeable silence, Touka had time to think. Indeed, another war was coming as Madara was not the only enemy out there: Touka hadn't heard from Jigitarisu in a while and Tsubaki's and Kinka's reconnaissance missions had shown that the other Shinobi villages were rather setting up than de-arming. Also, the Gokage summit was nearing, and Irakusa had to make sure that Hashirama-sama was safe.

There was no time to cry - for whatever the reason. She had to stay strong and show the presence and power of their squad. With new resolve the downed the rest of her tea, then turned to Tobirama.

Seeing her mien he slightly smiled and nodded. "That's more like the Touka I know," he stated.

She grinned, as crafty as a cartload of monkeys, and handed him a bouqet of cornflowers, iris and lavender. She winked at him as she pleached a wreath of peach flowers, gardenias and yellow acacia and put it on his head.

He just shook his head. "You and your flowers. Will you ever tell me what's up with these?" he sighed before he left, knowing she wouldn't.


	17. Fighting the World

_Chaos herself's note:_

 _Hey there!_

 _Here is another update. I'm glad you're still with me. In this chapter some decisions are made, which will have impact on future chapters.  
Anyway, have fun reading!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 17: Fighting the World**

What had happened to the Kyuubi after Madara had died, Touka didn't know. She could only assume and hope that Mito had somehow captured it as she had already mentioned that she had several of the Bijuu in her possession.

Why Mokuren didn't use the power she wielded, Touka couldn't understand either. Maybe it was just not as easy to control a Bijuu when you weren't a Sharingan user. Maybe it was Hashirama-sama who had Mito's ear, and not the other way round, as Mokuren had claimed.

And Hashirama-sama stubbornly insisted to hand out the tailed beasts to the other countries. At least Tobirama had been able to convince his brother to sell them instead of just giving them away. The five Kage gathering had been turbulent enough, and Touka would have liked to interfere on more than one occasion; Youko Inuzuka had been the same. But it had been Irakusa's and Aconeito's task to stand by and secure Hashirama-sama's and Tobirama-dono's safety instead of taking part in the heated discussions. The Hokage had been suspicious of their organisation anyways, but Tobirama had avowed for their good intentions and so Hashirama-sama had allowed them to come along.

In the end the Bijuu were split up, just as promised. Touka still deemed it unwise to give away so much power and hand it to their enemies - the very same enemies who had been sabre-rattling for quite some time. She had expected to hear a declaration of worldwide war on that summit, but somehow the other Kage seemed appeased to receive the Bijuu and maybe Hashirama-sama had been convincing enough to ensure a truce for another year.

* * *

But if you thought the world had become a more peaceful place after Madara's death, you were terribly mistaken.

The newly founded village Takigakure had sent a formidable Shinobi to assassinate Hashirama-sama when Touka an her squad had not been present to guard him. Totally despaired Mito had swept into Touka's chalet and only after the fierce warrior had calmed the healing Lady of the Uzumaki down, the redhead had told her about the incident.

The pair had been ambushd on their way through the Fire Country. The assailant wore the hitae-ate of Takigakure and with his Jutsus he controlled threads. Touka was reminded of Jigitarisu, who was considered missing by now, but Mito told her that the masked man was entirely different. The intense fight had left both Hashirama-sama and the assassin on the verge of death, but Mito had been there to heal her husband and bring him to the safety of Konohagakure. What had happened to the man who had introduced himself as Kakuzu, she didn't know. But she assumed he was still out there and after Hashirama-sama's blood.

This incident showed Touka even more how necessary their squad was for the security of their leader and the village alike. Mokuren urged her to do something against these threats, fear for her husband in her eyes, and Irakusa promised to hunt them all down. As Mito had promised, the new secret headquarters was finally finished. They were recruiting Shinobi and Kunoichi from even more clans now. Hatake and Umino, Kato and Shiranui, Maito and Gekko - they all were eager to become part of their organisation and wear the flower-masks.

Touka, however, was wary of them as she was wary of the world in general. The attempt at Hashirama-sama's life had shown there were enemies everywhere.

So Touka had made a profound decision: she expanded her secret circle also. But it was not so easy to determine who to place her trust in as she could not trust anybody besides Tobirama and herself. Not really. But maybe she could after all. Tsubaki, Sanzashi and Sumire had been very loyal and reliable ever since they had become hers. And there was one more, who seemed loyal to the bone, who admired her and followed every syllable she uttered.

Like she had ordered, her most obedient member of her squad had enrolled at the Shinobi Training Institution, which Tobirama had organized. And now was the time when the first thirty-six Genin graduated from this institution. Tobirama-dono was proud of his feat, Touka could see that.

But she was surprised that he had decided to become Sensei to a team of three of these Genin. Surely, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane needed guidance and had to learn teamwork and such, and Tobirama would teach them thoroughly. Of that Touka was convinced. And while he chose to teach those three officially, she trained secretly with Danzo.

The boy seemed to believe in the same things she did - that war was coming, and Konohagakure needed to be protected from threats from the outside _and_ inside. So Touka made up her mind. She summoned Kingyosou to her lair, and he emerged from it with a new Hiraishin-tattoo and a stronger sense of purpose. For he was hers now, the fifth member of her circle.

"You sure about this one?" Tobirama murmured when they were on their own.

Touka nodded decisively. "I have never seen anyone, Kunoichi or Shinobi alike, who was so much in accordance with my Nindou. He does as I say, he believes as I do, he fights for the same goals as I do. Well, maybe not exactly the same. But you get me," she said. "This boy is made for this purpose and anything other than that would be a waste of resources and talents. He is not cut out to work in a team as your three Genin do, but will be a great addition to my cause," she evaluated.

He nodded and blew into the cup of steaming tea she had pushed into his hands. "I see. He indeed doesn't strike me suitable to fit into a regular team, but I agree with you that he has talent. But I question his motifs."

"Do you question _my_ motifs then?" Touka narrowed her eyes and scrutinized Tobirama over the rim of her own cup.

"I didn't say that," he defended. "But I'm not so sure his motifs are the same as yours. And yet I can't deny he seems loyal to your cause. Maybe he is a bit overzealous is what bothers me," he mused and sipped on the tea.

Touka approached him and looked up at him. "I haven't congratulated you yet, Tobirama- _sensei_ ," she smiled mischievously at him.

He harrumphed and glanced at her with a lifted brow. Yet he accepted the white roses, primroses and chicories. However, in exchange Touka received more lemons. She grinned somberly, took one of the damned lemons and bit into it just to spite her luck.

Tobirama, however, nodded seemingly contentedly. "Alright. I'll be off then. My team is waiting," he said and vanished like he always did.

Touka threw the rest of the lemon into her pail, then returned to her training regimen. If they were marching right towards the next war, she would have to be ready for it. And she would make sure the whole squad was. While she went through her various Katas, she thought about how to make the training more efficient for her orangisation. The new recruits needed to be instructed, teams needed to be formed and missions needed to be coordinated. There was much to do.

Quietly Kingyosou had returned and joined her training, mirrored her movements and immitated her orchestrated fight against invisible enemies. He was so eager to prove himself to her, to show her she had made the right decision and really could rely on him. And the Kunoichi appreciated his efforts.

"I didn't call you," she stated nonetheless.

"I know," the boy answered and looked up at her. "But while you protect Hashirama-sama and the whole village, who has _your_ back and protects you, Irakusa-taichou? You are the commander of this organisation. If anything happens to you, whatever will happen to this squad... what will happen to Konohagakure?" he argued.

"Very well," Touka nodded. She was a strong and seasoned warrior who could fend for herself, but he had a point, though. So she allowed him to stay by her side, train with her and make sure she wasn't ambushed. It was a bit endearing how much he cared. But Kingyosou played for keeps, and Touka valued that. It was the right decision after all to include him in her clandestine circle. He might be young, but for his age he was pretty grown-up, she observed.

* * *

Mito still didn't know about Touka's squad within the squad, but the warrior knew, Mokuren kept secrets from Irakusa, too. If Mito chose to confide in her comrade someday, Touka might open up to her, too, then. And only then. Touka toyed with the Indian cress as she thought about her comrade. She had not introduced herself as Mokuren to the team yet, was entirely a benefactor from the shadows; they knew she existed, but Mito seemed to be above it all instead of getting involved.

Touka knew, her position was delicate and her identity a risk to the whole endeavor. But when Irakusa was fighting the world, she still wished that her partner in crime stood by her side. Any sign at all was enough. And yet Touka was still waiting for Mito to show her true colours.

In the meantime she relied on those, who had proved themseves worthy. Kadohime, Hotaru, Raiko and Danzo.

And Tobirama, of course.

But her trust towards him rooted in a whole another story; she would always trust him. Her flower messages had become bolder now, more honest. And yet the things she only ever received were lemons. But she couldn't ask for more. When she had become a Kunoichi, she had sacrificed her true feelings for her purpose, she had sacrificed her future and hopes and dreams. That didn't mean they didn't exist. She just couldn't pursue them, could she? Her devotion to the safety of her clan chief and his brother overshadowed everything else. She would fight and die a hundred percent Kunoichi. And she was proud of it.

Still there were moments when she scretly wished she would receive something else than lemons...


	18. Man Down - Break Down

_Hey there!_

 _In this chapter a major event in the history of Konoha happens. So let's see how Touka and the others deal with it, shall we?_

 _Have fun reading!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chpter 18: Man Down - Break Down**

And then one day the one thing happened, which Touka would have wished to not see in her life. She would rather have died than witness this rainy day.

It rained torrents, so much so that it seemed as if the heavens were weeping bitterly and forlornly. And yet nobody sought shelter from the rain, for the rain washed away all the tears a village could possibly cry.

Everybody was gathered - Touka's squad, the regular Shinobi and Kunoichi, clans people and civillians. Touka stood to Tobirama-sama's right, Mito with little Tsunade in her arms to his left; a row of flower-masks behind them. For a long while not a word was said as the crowd stared incredulously ahead; ideals shattered like glass, hopes burst like bubbles, collective minds empty with devastation.

The rain kept pouring.

Finally Tobirama-sama heaved a heavy grief-stricken sigh and when he raised his voice, it was bitter and grim: "Today...is a sad day for Konohagakure. Today...we have gathered to say goodbye to the one man on whose ideals this village was founded, who had made peace possible and who had always believed in the good in humankind. Hashirama Senju was a Shinobi extraordinaire, a role model to many, a poineer, a beacon of hope, a light in the dark. As First Hokage he has done many, so many deeds for the good of his people, the inhabitants of Konohagakure, even the whole Shinobi world."

He paused, then resumed with more resolve: "Today we may have lost a father and brother and grandfather and friend and mentor and clan chief and leader. So let us mourn the loss of the great Shinobi Hashirama Senju today. But let us not forget about his heritage, let us not make undone what he has achieved. As Second Hokage I, Tobirama Senju, will continue the path he trailblazed, and I will keep alive the 'Will of Fire' my brother has entrusted to us and lit inside our hearts. And I invite you to do the same." He then dedicated the statue of a giant flame, which was erected in Hashirama's name at the centre of the graveyard. Then another moment of silence was held, while the villagers quietly wept.

To Touka this whole day seemed like but a dream - unreal, blurry and devoid of emotion. Her mind was blank, yet she didn't cry a single tear like she would have expected.

* * *

And even days later she seemed out of it, as if sleepwalking or cushioned in cotton whool. Yet sadness would not settle in. And she could hardly accept that she'd failed at her one goal: to keep her clan chief and leader of the village safe. Every day she would march to the graveyard to assure herself this was real and to place fresh sweet pea and rosemary on Hashirama's grave.

Tobirama-sama on the other hand instantly threw himself into work, tried his hardest to fit in his brother's shoes as Hokage and kept himself too busy to think and mourn. Touka didn't bother him but left him some fern, daisies, pine twigs, crimson roses and zinnias as comfort on his Hokage desk.

And Mito?

She had retreated from the squad and the public completely. Every time Touka visited her in her quarters, she found her in tears. And when she gave her a similar bouquet like Tobirama-sama, Mito cried even harder. Sometimes she was just melancholic, spoke of her husband and how it was not fair that he had had to die so soon. Touka listened to her while she wept.

Together they remembered the times when he was still among the living; Touka told about Hashirama's youth and how it was to grow up around him, while Mito's words were full of love and longing. Mito was miserable, and became even more miserable day by day.

Finally, blinded by sadness and sorrow, she blamed Touka and her squad, that they had failed to protect Hashirama, that they were responsible for his death and that it had been their one purpose to make sure he was safe. She would insult her and throw things at her and wish she was dead instead of her husband.

One day Touka had had enough: "You know what? You're right. I should have died for him. But I failed, and so did you. We all failed. Hashirama, the First Hokage, is dead. Now we can commit Seppuku out of shame, or we can move on and focus on the duty of our organisation: to make sure the Second Hokage, Tobirama-sama, is safe. I don't know about you, but I think I can serve Tobirama-sama better if I don't thrust a blade into my stomach."

With her mouth narrowed to a grim line, Touka had turned around and left Mito alone.

* * *

So Touka soldiered on, alone. Well, her squad remained faithful and dutiful - minus Mokuren -, but Hashirama's death had dampened their mood. Some of them blamed themselves, others seemed to have lost purpose.

And yet amongst them there were two people who didn't falter and who stayed strong and unyielding. Sanzashi and Kingyosou. Touka secretly regarded them as the backbone of the squad then, and she relied heavier on them for support now. Given time, she placed more responsibility in their loyal hands, and they helped Irakusa shoulder the burden of their duties. They were in charge of mission assignments, scheming and organising the training for the new recruits.

Together with them Touka managed to whip her squad into shape, had them refocus and alerted them to their new old puropse: to keep the Hokage safe and eliminate threats from the outside and inside of Konohagakure. Soon the hawthorn- and snapdragon-masks became as famous inside their organisation as Irakusa's stinging nettle, and even throughout Konohagakure. Their identities were still a mystery, but people knew the squad existed and was permitted by the Hokage himself.

Now they could operate more efficiently, even received requests from Tobirama-sama sometimes. But let the the mission requests aside, he didn't talk to Touka much these days, and he didn't come find her in her chalet either. So Touka thought, if the Sennin didn't come to Mount Myoboku... the toads could go fuck themselves with a pinapple, and went to the Hokage office instead.

When she didn't find Tobirama-sama there, she left some flowers for him and returned another time. She knew that he was very busy with his team, and the new tasks and responsibilities as Hokage. And also that this was his way of dealing with Hashirama's death. But she wanted him to know she was still there.

Yet when out of ten times she finally caught him for the second time and wanted to place a bunch of anemones in his hands, Tobirama-sama snapped at her irritably: "No, Touka. No more flowers. Would you please stop. I'm not a woman who likes these sort of things. I don't get it, I don't get _you,_ and I don't find it funny anymore."

Hurt and angry Touka threw the anemones at his feet, before she strutted off. "Suit yourself then, Hokage-sama. I'm out of here." The doors to his office slammed shut behind her.

* * *

Back in the secluded place of her chalet she finally was able to cry. It came as a surprise to her, but suddenly the tears welled up in her eyes and wouldn't stop. She leaned heavily against the door, slid down until she sat on the floor and surrendered herself to the tears. Silently they rolled down her cheeks, unstoppable, unavoidable.

She rubbed at her cheeks, but they kept flowing. So she let them and hugged herself instead as she quietly wept.

Maybe this was her answer; maybe this was what she got for being bold and jinxing her luck; maybe this was the ultimate reminder of where her place was. And had she not sworn off of her dreams and hopes and future when she had become a Kunoichi? Had she not accepted her fate and sacrificed everything for the greater good of keeping Hashirama and Tobirama-sama safe?

That was her Nindou, that was her duty, that was her decision for her life. She just had to live with the consequences now and until the very end.

Touka had thought she had accepted that long ago, but apparently that was not the case. She might have become a most ferocious and skilled warrior, but until this very day she had not been able to kill her heart. Not really.

She had hidden her true feelings, she had pretended otherwise, she had encrypted her heart and shown the world she was a soldier and not a weak woman. However, her emotions didn't go away; if anything they had become stronger, so strong that she had sought a let out and found it in the form of flower language and hidden messages. She had felt safe because the receiver of these messages didn't know how to decrypt them. But as soon as she had become bold enough to include her honest feelings in her messages, it had backfired on her.

Tobirama-sama had rejected her flowers, and thus rejected her heart.

"How pathetic. That's what I got for daring to attain what is not supposed to be mine. I should know my place, right?" she murmured to herself. "I should know better than to ignore what's befitting my rank. He is Hokage now; I'm hundred percent Kunoichi. So I should act like one."

She dried her eyes, heaved a sigh and put a grim grin on her face. "Alright. No more weaknesses like that. Now let's train until I drop. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and of this squad I'm not going to be it!"


	19. Turn Over a New Leaf

_Hello there!_

 _Like the title of this chapter suggests, we've reached another turning point. And there's only three chapters left after this one._  
 _So have fun reading._

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 19: Turn Over a New Leaf**

"The problem is we have next to no idea what's going on in Lightning Country," Sanzashi concluded the assessment of the current events. All of them were gathered for a strategic meeting at the hidden headquarters of their organisation and looked at the map Sanzashi was pointing at.

"We need to place spies in Kumogakure to glean information effecively so we can assess possible threats from there. We can use one of the offers to tie knots and forge alliances as coverage," the Nara matriarch continued. "However, we don't have enough capacity to do that; most of our members are bound by their clans and can't go on infiltration missions that might last months, even years. Our families can't spare us for more than a few days, we can't afford to lead a triple life and found new families while we already have one at home."

Touka listened as she was in deep thought. She had to face the truth, she had to fulfill her duty as Kunoichi and she had to let go of and forsake her fatuous dreams and hopes. Her life would never become what she wished it to be. "I'll go," she said, sounding almost bored.

Suddenly all eyes were on her, shocked and puzzled. Sanzashi sucked in a breath. "Irakusa-taichou, you're the commander of this squad. You're the last person to be able to go," she argued.

"Fiddlesticks," Touka deadpanned, her eyes bleak and yet determined. "I'm a member just like each of you. For months this organisation has not been run by me alone but by a whole team - including you, Sanzashi. Moreover, I'm most suited for this mission. I have no husband, I have no kids, I have no parents - nobody will miss me or find it suspicious if I leave for an indefinite amount of time. Besides, we can't send one of the fresh recruits. But I can fend for myself, I always have. So I'll go."

For a while a heavy silence ensued.

"But Irakusa-taichou. When you're not there, who shall we turn to then if all else fails?" Kinsenka asked, but her mother answered: "We'll dedicate this organisation to the Hokage, and he'll be the one to decide from now on. He'll make it all official and integrate us into the system. He has already decided to name our organisation 'Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai' or ANBU in short."

Touka nodded affirmative. "So it is decided. This will be my last decision as Irakusa- _taichou_ then: I'll take that mission and become our spy in Kumogakure from now on. Kingyosou and Tsubaki will be my contacts." She stood. "And don't bother to hold a farewell party or something like that. The more inconspicuous my departure becomes the likelier is the success of my mission."

Still, after the meeting many of them came up to Touka to exchange a few parting words, shake hands and wish her well. Inoko, Kanoko and Rinshi hugged her even. "Don't say nobody is going to miss you here. We will," Inoko sobbed.

"Come back safely," Kanoko whispered and Rinshi didn't want to let go for the longest time.

Kingyosou followed Touka in silence as she returned to her chalet to prepare for her mission. She walked about her quarters and packed for a life in Kumo, and he helped her. She took some time to undo the Hiraishin seal around her navel, but she succeeded. Then she let down her hair and put on one of her late mother's Yukatas, which she had been keeping as a keepsake for all these years. She chose the light blue one with the beautiful peach blossom embroidery and matching obi.

Danzo fetched her favourite Chakra blade, the one she had forged with Madara, and held it out to her. "I understand that you must go for the good of Konohagakure," he solemnly said, "There is no one else who can do it, right?"

Touka cautiously took the blade, considered it and felt her Chakra hum inside it. For a moment she closed her eyes and concentrated as if to imprint into her mind how it felt to hold it. "Right," she stated, opened her eyes with new determination, gathered her long tresses in her free hand and cut them with a single swish of her blade. Then she handed her special blade back to Danzo. "Keep this for me. The maiden named Momoka won't need any weapons."

Danzo accepted the blade and bowed. "I will," he promised, "and I will continue your work to the best of my abilities."

Touka nodded absentmindedly as she tied a bouquet of rosemary and sweet pea, and after a heavy sigh she added a dahlia and a myrtle. Her heart cleched, but her fate was already decided. "Bring this to the Hokage. You will report to him about my mission," she instructed Kingyosou and as she closed the doors to her little lair and walked towards the village gates to leave her life behind, he hurried to the Hokage palace.

* * *

A few hours later 'Momoka' was already far on her way to Kumogakure, when Tobirama-sama entered his office to find Kingyosou with the flowers. She never knew how alarmed he was to see the very same flowers Touka had placed on Madara's body and Hashirama's tomb and how he despaired when he couldn't activate the Hiraishin seal and transport to where she was now. And she never heard him bellow as he shook the flowers in his hand: "What in Rikudou Sennin's name does this mean? Stop her! Find Touka and bring her back."

Neither did she see Danzo smile to himself as he bowed before Tobirama-sama and promised to search for Touka, knowing that she had shed her life and identity as the warrior Touka Senju and become the civillian florist Momoka - knowing that she, Momoka, had accepted a proposal the late Hashirama had prompted as a sign of truce between the two countries. Mito had attempted to wed Touka off several times, but it had taken Tobirama-sama's refusal until Touka had finally changed her mind for good.

Every step on her way felt leaden, but she didn't stop and didn't dare to look back, fearing she would lose her resolve. But then she reminded herself that this was also a kind of war; and never had she backed down from war, so she wouldn't start today. Yet this war was different from everything she knew; no steel in her hands, no armour to guard her, and (probably) no bloodshed. This was the war Mokuren had spoken of: silk and soft words and meaningful glances. She wouldn't be a politician, but she would be in the right place at the right time, armed with the weapons of a normal woman only.

* * *

In the meantime, and unbeknownst to her, Tobirama had sought Mito to ask her about Touka's last message. And Mito clasped a hand over her mouth as Tobirama showed her even more flowers.

"Oh, God. What have you done?" Mito exclaimed as she examined the flowers and read the countless messages Touka had sent him over the years. He had pressed and dried them to conserve them - all of them.

Regret clenched Mito's heart as she finally, finally understood her accomplice, her comrade, her friend. Her whole heart lay now open before Mito's unbelieving eyes. If she had known beforehand, she wouldn't have pushed all these marriage candidates towards Touka's doorstep but told her dear friend that happiness did exist and she could have held it in her grasp, and she would have hit Tobirama if he had brought Touka one more lemon instead of oranges or bouquets of jonquils and red roses and red tulips. Or at least wild parsnip.

"You idiot," she chid Tobirama between sobs and hit him with the dahlia and the myrtle on the arm, "you blind idiot. Why didn't you ask me earlier? She loved you _so_ much. But now she's gone to marry another man."

He etiolated, pain plainly visible on his usually so stern face. "No, this can't be possible."

"Why, go stop her, hold her, tell her...tell her whatever you want to tell her, but stop her!" Mito exclaimed.

"I can't!" Tobirama burried his face in his hands, his voice laced with despair. "My Hiraishin seal doesn't work. I can't reach her, and I don't know what to do, Mito!"

* * *

Far away in the Lightning Country Momoka placed a sweet smile on her face as she was introduced to the man she should marry to better the relationships between Konoha and Kumo. "Pleased to meet you, and thank you for having me. My name is Momoka," she breathed as she bowed demurely before the Raikage, her future husband and his brother.

"The pleasure is all mine, right, Ginkaku?" the man grinned and nudged his brother, who smirked back: "Right, Kinkaku. Didn't know they have these kind of beauties in the Fire Country."

"I'm definitely a lucky man," Kinkaku agreed with a nod and eyed Momoka from head to toe. Neither of them seemed to have twigged who she really was. The Raikage himself held the ceremony then and there, and she was glad they didn't make a lot of hoopla about it as she would rather get it done and over with sooner than later.

"Welcome to Kumogakure then, Momoka," the Raikage finished and clapped a big hand on Momoka's shoulder. She bowed again before she followed the KinGin-brothers to their home. Little did she know they possessed the five Treasured Tools of the Rikudou Sennin and would use them against her...


	20. Her Personal Hell

_Hello there!_

 _We're nearing the finale and Touka is in quite a pinch. Btw the name Momoka is just a different way of reading the Kanji of Touka's name._  
 _Anyway, have fun reading!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 20: Her Personal Hell**

Once Momoka had entered the KinGin-brothers' lair, she had plunged into a hell personally designed for her - or so it seemed.

She very vividly remembered the nightmarish Gen-Jutsu Madara had cast on that winter day, where Touka had become his prisoner and slave, if only in a dream. But now she wondered if the damnable Sharingan also enabled its wielder to glimpse the future. Momoka would never know because Touka wasn't able to ask Madara anymore.

But his almost visionary Gen-Jutsu was still relevant long after he was dead and gone. Momoka imagined him grin with wicked delight as he watched her fate unfold from his grave.

Momoka had just entered and looked around the quaint house the brothers inhabited when Kinkaku had grabbed her from behind and held her arms and neck in a one-armed deadlock vice grip. He murmured into her ear, while she tried to wiggle free: "You know, we brothers are really close and nothing will come between us, not even a wife, right, Ginkaku?"

"Right, Kinkaku," the other man agreed as he approached with utensils Momoka had never seen before but only heard legends about. She stirred.

"But maybe she will, too. I must admit, I do like the ones who put up a fight. Now, don't try anything funny, little lady," Kinkaku continued, "Do you know of the five Treasured Tools of the Rikudou Sennin? You see, if this rope wound around my arm, the Koukinjou, touches you, the gourd my brother has, the Benihisago, will take your kotodama once my sword, the Shichiseiken, severs it from your body. Then you will be sucked into the Benihisago and turned into wine if you say your most frequently spoken word or don't say anything at all for a too long time. Right, Ginkako?"

Ginkako unstopped the gourd. "Right, Kinkako," he nodded eagerly and grinned.

"Now, why did I tell you how it works? Easy. So you know what will happen to you if you resist and don't do as we say," Kinkako grinned just as eagerly. "And you know, my pretty wife, as we brothers are so close, we share _everything_ , right, Ginkako?"

"Right, Kinkako," Ginkako echoed and reached for Momoka's Obi, pulled at the beautiful bow and undid it then grabbed Momoka's foot as she tried to kick him and lifted it waist-high, "even the fun. Especially the fun."

When Momoka screamed, nobody heard her, nobody helped her. She was all on her own and without Touka's many blades. And if she cast a Gen-Jutsu, the brothers would use the Treasured Tools of the Rikudou Sennin against her.

She silently promised vengeance and wished them a most horrendous death but for now she could do nothing - not even dispel a shadow clone. For this was real, this was her horror story come true and she could do nothing about it. She could hear Madara's hollow laughter echo through her mind.

* * *

When she was on her own, the KinGin-brothers tied her up and locked her in so she wouldn't attempt to run or ambush them. They might seem ruthless and self-assured but they were thorough. There was not even one single opening.

When Momoka was forced to cook for them, they made sure she ate first, so she couldn't poison them.

And every time they came back from their raids and rogueish deeds, they wanted to blow off steam afterwards. Momoka always put up a fight. But in the end the brothers got what they wanted as they effectively threatened her with the Treasured Tools of the Rikudou Sennin. They were rough and took pleasure in Momoka's hate and despair and pain. But never did she shed a tear, not even once.

"This is what I get for acting unbefitting my rank," Momoka murmured all alone, remembering Tobirama-sama and wondering if he even thought about her at all.

She had tried to send her squad flower messages, but she didn't even know if these messages reached her contacts at all. As a matter of course she didn't receive any answers, didn't know how her squad fared, if they were well or dead or something in between.

For all she knew a worldwide war could have broken out and she wouldn't have noticed.

* * *

For two whole weeks Kinkako and Ginkako didn't come home even once. And as much as Momoka despised her husband and her brother-in-law, she awaited their return with growing impatience. For in the meantime she almost starved. She didn't die of thirst because the rope she was tied up with had been long enough - if barely - to reach the sink and she managed to turn on the faucet with her teeth.

The KinGin-brothers on the other hand returned even stronger and with a new power, which was even more tremendous.

"You want to know what happened to us?" Kinkaku grinned maliciously, as he tugged at Momoka's scalp and lifted her head so she would look him in the pale eyes. "The damned Kyuubi happened. He swallowed us whole, did he not, Ginkaku?"

"Yes, he did, Kinkaku," his brother affirmed as he held Momoka down. Suddenly their bodies transformed and their touch burned Momoka's skin and flesh. They emanated the Kyuubi's vile Chakra.

"He swallowed us, but we did not die. No, we were still alive inside him for two whole weeks. And you know what we did? We ate his flesh and drank his blood, that's what we did," Kinkaku continued, "and then one day he spat us out. Now Ginkaku and I possess his powers. So you better be nice, my lovely lady, or we must try these new powers on you, right, Ginkaku?" - "Right, Kinkaku."

And they did try them on Momoka when she didn't obey or when she resisted as hard as she could. Although throughout the following years she disobeyed less and less. It was futile, a waste of Chakra. And Momoka learnt that the more demure and amenable she was the more her tormentors and captors allowed her.

Still she would time and again try and use her various poisons when the brothers were not there to stop her from bleeding and vomitting and writhing in pain as she endured the side effects of her concoctions and domestic remedies. She did not want to die. But she would make sure that the poisoned tree of her marriage never bore any fruit which could drop upon the earth and envenom it. The brothers didn't know and didn't care as long as they could have fun with her.

* * *

Somewhere along these years Momoka had given up on sending flower messages to Kingyosou and Tsubaki, never knowing if even one of them had reached their destination, or if the answers had just been intercepted or not existed at all. She once overheard Kinkaku and Ginkaku talk about Konoha's ANBU, but that was that. For years it had been and remained the only sign they still existed.

Her life as Touka Senju and Irakusa-taichou seemed eternities away. Momoka sometimes wondered if she even remembered how to hold a sword. The only blade she ever used now was a kitchen knife, wich was so blunt she could have ridden it like a horseback. She wouldn't even be able to cause lethal wounds if she tried to kill Kinkaku or Ginkaku with it. Besides, the Kyuubi-Chakra protected them from harm now and they always guarded each other. The way she was now, Momoka couldn't hold a candle to their combined power.

Still, she waited for her time to come, waited for the right moment to strike and avenge thousandfold what they had done to her. Often she would stand by their bed when they slept and watch them. If only she had her Chakra blade, if only she had _any_ of her many blades... Yet even if she was armed to the teeth, would she be able to kill them if even the Kyuubi was not able to end their lifes?

Sometimes Momoka wished it was all but another Gen-jutsu, indeed, she preferred Madara's one to her current life and she would trade places any day. Because then she would at least be in Konoha and she would know Tobirama-sama and her people were well. But Madara was dead, and so was his Gen-jutsu.

* * *

Finally the KinGin-brothers fell in disgrace and were shunned by the people of Kumogakure as their rogueish lifestyle affronted the Raikage. They had to leave the village and took Momoka with them. She waited for an opening, anything at all that might help her get away from this life and be herself again. For if they couldn't stay in Kumogakure anymore Momoka was useless as a spy. However, she had gleaned a lot of information from her husband and brother-in-law, information about the Village Hidden in the Clouds, but also about these two highly dangerous individuals who were a threat to Konoha and all the other Shinobi villages for that matter. And she would certainly use this information given the opportunity.

The time was nigh for everything to change - if for the better or the worse she couldn't forsee. But she would make sure it happened.


	21. Coup d'état

_Hey!_

 _Finally we've reached the finale of 'Peach Flower'. Let's see how this will pan out. However, I have to remind you that this chapter is only the last but one chapter. So the story is not completely over yet. :)_  
 _Have fun reading!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 21: Coup d'état**

The brothers made their way through the woods of the Fire Country. Kinkaku made sure Momoka followed them closely as she inconspicuously looked around. It was strange to be back, to recognize the forests and yet see the differences which had grown with the years. She didn't know where exactly her husband and his brother were headed but she expected familiar faces behind every corner and tree and bush.

However, the KinGin-brothers were very cautious in their approach. They applied a Henge as soon as they reached the village gates of Konoha and turned into civillian merchants following the treck of the Second Raikage's entourage. The oblivious guards let them pass. Momoka wanted to warn them, wanted to tell them to alert everyone and kill the imminent threat. But Kinkaku was watching her. So she just dropped a tuft of oleander and snapdragon as she carried her flower basket and hoped someone who was able to read her message would find them.

From the corners of her eyes she noticed a shadow behind her, one moment it was there, then the flowers were gone. Contented, she hoped it was ANBU and that they reacted accordingly.

Once inside the village the brothers forced Momoka to lead the way to the Hokage palace. From the banners she gathered a peace treaty ceremony between Kumogakure and Konohagakure was held. Momoka concluded that the brothers wanted to sabotage this event. So she had to prevent it somehow.

If only she could get into contact with ANBU directly. If only she could attain her weapons and stop Kinkaku and Ginkaku herself.

"Alright. From here on we'll find it, right, Ginkaku?" Kinkaku grinned, and his brother nodded: "Right, Kinkaku." They pushed Momoka aside and rushed towards the building.

In the meantime Momoka got back on her feet. This was her chance! She ran through the streets of Konoha without looking left or right, and when she reached her destination she found it was still there: her chalet. In a hurry she barged in and saw nothing had been changed. Without further ado she grabbed the special blade which throned on a holdfast, turned on her heels and sprinted back out.

As if welcoming her home, the Chakra inside her blade hummed as it recognized its mistress.

But she didn't dwell on it; instead she rushed as if her own life depended on it and as fast as she could towards the Hokage palace. She didn't bother to take the door, but she infused the soles of her feet with Chakra and ran up the wall so she could reach the Hokage's office faster.

She jumped onto the roof and peered through the windows. Her heart stopped as she recognized Tobirama-sama. He was still as handsome as back then. Instantly she noticed that he was wounded severely and still fought on against the KinGin-brothers, who had turned into their Kyuubi-form; the Raikage was already on the ground, blood pooling around his body, and so were several animal-masked Shinobi - ANBU members, she recognized, as one of the masks had slipped and revealed the face of one of her squad members.

Just this instant Tobirama-sama collapsed. And Touka saw red. She barged in and jumped in front of him right when the brothers were about to slay the one man she didn't want to die. Red hot sparks ricocheted from her blade as the Kyuubi-Chakra collided with it.

"So you can fight after all, Momoka? Who would have thought, right, Ginkaku?" Kinkaku's contorted voice laughed hollowly.

"Right, Kinkaku," his brother echoed.

"Enough of this charade. My name is Touka Senju. And you made the one mistake that will cost your life: you attacked Tobirama-sama, so prepare to die!" Touka roared and unleashed a vicious spectre of a Gen-Jutsu, but the brothers tore right through it. She swung her sword in a wind-mill succession to parry and counter-strike as the kyuubified men lashed out with their tails and claws. Gen-Jutsu after Gen-Jutsu she threw at them, didn't even stop or falter when one of Ginkaku's tails lancinated her. They would learn why she was feared and reknown throughout the Shinobi world first hand!

She didn't care anymore that these guys wielded the five Treasured Tools of the Rikudou Sennin, she didn't care anymore that they were two against one and she didn't care anymore that they had the Kyuubi's Chakra. Touka just wanted to kill them, slay them, butcher them, more than she had wanted to kill Madara. Because Tobirama-sama was dying, and it was their fault.

Touka hacked and slashed while her Gen-Jutsus tore at the Kyuubi-Chakra and showed them the horrors she had nurtured through all these years to one day unleash upon them. And now was this day! Ghastly creatures no man could fathom sprang into creation and leapt Kinkaku and Ginkaku. They howled and screamed as the creatures ate and peeled off the Kyuubi-Chakra from their bodies. As the brothers fled the building, bleeding profusely and barely able to stand on their own two feet, Touka fell to her knees beside Tobirama-sama.

His eyes fluttered open. "Touka... is that really you?" he rasped, barely conscoius but fighting the greedy claws of death.

"Yes, Tobirama-sama, I'm here. I'm here now," she gently said, cushioned his head on her lap. "Don't move. I'll heal you." She tore at his armour to reveal the wound and gasped as she saw it was fatal. She pressed her hands on his wound and applied her healing-Jutsu.

"Touka...I... I searched for you. Danzo said you were probably dead...but I...I couldn't believe, couldn't accept..." he murmured. Blood ran from his mouth and he coughed.

"Shhh. Don't talk," she whispered. Tears were welling up in her eyes as she tried to heal him, willed all of her Senju-heritage to make it possible to save his life. Was she not cousin to Hashirama, who had been one of the most outstanding healers ever? "And don't die, you hear me?" So she poured her Chakra into him, tried to heal what could not be healed.

But Tobirama was stubborn as always. "I...finally got your messages. Mito-chan helped me... decipher them." He coughed blood again, but he faintly smiled. "Next time... I'll give you oranges instead of lemons. And four-leafed clover...and...and peach flowers...and jonquils? ...should've done that years ago..."

"No, don't say that," Touka whispered as tears started flowing down her face, her heart likewise spilling over as it broke for him. These were the words she had always hoped for all theses years ago. But the life with the KinGin-brothers had changed her so much. "It's too late now...it's too late. My body is ruined; I can't bear you children anymore. I can only serve you as Kunoichi, and even that I can't..." She sobbed.

It was obvious he was dying, and he should know that, too. Still she did everthing she could to prevent it from happening, adamantly kept on healing him and denied the facts.

He reached out his hand and gently touched her cheek. "I don't care...I don't need you...to bear me children. I just want to be with you, Touka," he still smiled weakly. But then his eyes fell shut and he suddenly lost conciousness; his life was slipping through her fingers like grains of sand and the last grain had just fallen. But she couldn't accept it.

Touka cried harder. "It can't be. Because you have to live! I love you so much, I've always loved you. I'd give my life for you, Tobirama-sama, if only you lived!" She leaned forward to kiss his lips for a first and last time. It was very different from what she had always imagined. The kiss tasted salty, like the tears she cried, and tangy, like the copper of his blood.

Regardless of her own lethal wound she then pressed her hands on his chest and applied the Jutsu which Chiyo had developed in order to give life to her puppets: "Kishou Tensei!" She felt how her remaining life force was sucked out of her and all of her Chakra flowed into Tobirama's body. "Please, Tobirama-sama, you have to live...", she whispered. Her body felt so heavy and her conciousness was slipping, but she willed herself to finish this Jutsu. Everything depended on it. All her life would have been in vain if Tobirama died here and now!

"Breathe!" she exclaimed, "Come on, _breathe_!" Her tunnel vision was blurry due to the tears and Chakra drain and blood loss of her own wound, and the longer it took to reanimate him the harder it became to stay awake. But she had to succeed, she had to bring him back to life! And she would. She poured every ounce of Charka which remained within her into Tobirama, gave him all she had left to give and made the impossible possible.

Yet Touka never saw him breathe again and come to senses, and she never witnessed him despair, take her limp body into his arms and break into tears as he realised she had died for him.


	22. Final Chapter: The Forbidden Jutsu

_Hello there!_

 _Just as promised, this is the final chapter. Thank you for staying with me until the end of this 43k story. I hope you enjoyed what you read. Please share your impressions with me and leave a little comment because I'm dying to know what you think of this work._

 _Anyhow, have fun reading!_

 _Chaos_

 _..._

 **Chapter 22/Final Chapter: The Forbidden Jutsu**

When she opened her eyes, she instantly knew she was dead. But if this was true, how came she was still there? Was this the afterlife? Heaven or hell?

She didn't know. But she slowly moved and got up from the bier she lay upon and looked around. This was the place where Tobirama had put Madara's body all those years ago. But Madara was not here. Maybe the Uchiha went to a different hell than the Senju. At least she hoped he did as she would hate to spend the entire afterlife with Madara Uchiha.

"Touka," she then heard a familiar voice - a voice she had longed to hear for eternities it seemed, a voice that would forevermore have her heart do somersaults. Except it didn't. There was no heartbeat, and there was no breath coming forth from her lips. And yet she was able to move, walk and talk as if she was still among the living. She couldn't wrap her head around it.

"How? Why?" she mouthed and blinked as her hands came up involuntarily to sling around the neck of the man in front of her, while he put his arms around her waist and held her close.

"This Jutsu is called Edo Tensei," Tobirama murmured as he pulled her closer into his embrace and buried his face at her neck, "I originally invented it to bring my brother back to the living. But instead I had to summon you, Touka. I just had to. When I came to and you were dead in my arms I thought the world ended."

For a moment she closed her eyes and just relished in the closeness to the man she had always and secretly loved. It did good to know he cared for her so deeply.

"But I'm still dead," she then observed, feeling the wrongness of this situation.

"I know. And I can't make it undone even if I sacrifice people for this Jutsu. I know this is wrong, and I know I will not repeat this Jutsu - no one should. This is henceforth a Kin-Jutsu. But I still had to do it. A world without you is just not worth living in," he confessed.

Touka was speechless for a good while. But she didn't need to answer yet, as Tobirma was not finished: "Remember what I said last? I just want to be with you. And it's true. I don't care that you're dead; my feelings haven't changed."

Her body moved on its own as he tilted his head and she could feel his hot breath against her lips. "This is wrong," she whispered, yet her eyes fell half-shut as she anticipated the kiss, longed for the kiss.

"Nothing in my life has been more right than this," he breathed, then finally sealed her lips with his. What started out gently and lovingly soon became more ardent and eager. Never in her life had Touka kissed so intensely, and never would she have guessed Tobirama would be so passionate. She clung to him as much as he held her in his arms, and the world seemed to have come to a standstill as it lost all significance to them.

Touka sighed. She wished she had been able to experience this when she had still been alive. But she enjoyed the kiss now just as much. "We shouldn't be doing this," she murmured despite not wanting to stop. Still she had to reason with him.

"I know this is wrong, but it feels so right," Tobirama acknowledgd as his lips brushed hers and he kissed her again deeply and longingly. She reciprocated automatically, mirrored his motions even if she would have stopped. This was weird though. She didn't seem to have any control over her body; it moved on its own, and she perceived it was one of the effects of the Edo Tensei.

"What are you doing to me?" she whispered and knotted her brows slightly. "Don't you trust me to do this on my own?" she questioned.

He sighed, his hands ran up and down her back. "I'm pretty sure you would find a good excuse not to do as I _know_ we both want," he murmured and nibbled at her bottom lip. She moaned softly as she was urged to return the gesture.

"It's not an excuse if it's a fact. And it's a fact that firstly, we are cousins, secondly, I am dead and thirdly, you are controlling me. I may have wanted to do this with you for a very long time, but the issue remains. Even if I'd do this willingly, if you don't release your control over me, where is the difference between this and forcing yourself on me? And it makes me wonder if you're a closet necrophile..." Touka argued.

Tobirama stopped kissing her, shot her a glance and lifted his brow. "You know I'm not," he deadpanned, "Well, you might be dead, but you're not dead to me. And there are a lot of clans who allow marriage between cousins, so why should we care now? Nobody has to know that we're kissing."

"Anyway, this Jutsu is just wrong. You shouldn't meddle with the balance between life and death. You said you sacrificed someone for this, and yet you didn't bring me back to life; I'm but a dead woman walking, and this shouldn't be happening," Touka stated. "You have to release this Jutsu and return me to the impure soil from which you summoned me."

"No, I won't," Tobirama denied. "I love you too much to lose you twice; especially since I know now you love me, too. I've wanted you for so long, and now that I know you want me, too, I won't let you go so easily."

Touka averted her gaze and had the decency to blush. "So you really got my messages after all," she murmured and couldn't help herself but be happy that he felt this way about her - even if this love was wrong on so many levels.

"Yes, I did. All of them," Tobirama nodded, lifted her chin so she would look him in the eyes, and kissed her again, gently this time. "And I still need to answer them. Now, I don't like to talk at length. So I better let my actions speak for myself."

She sighed against his lips. "Maybe we can keep this a secret," Touka murmured as she felt her resolve melt under his sweet kisses, "my existence, this Edo Tensei, our...relationship?"

"Sounds good to me," he whispered, "So you'll finally be mine and mine alone then?"

"Under one condition," she demanded and lifted a brow as she looked at him pointedly. "Release your control over my body, Tobirama! The things I do with you I want to do voluntrily. In my last relationship I've been a prisoner for the longest time, and I swore to myself that this would happen never again - especially not with you. So let go, and I'll happily be yours."

Tobirama was silent for a while. He clearly didn't like the notion that Touka had been with another man, much less in a relationship with dynamics like these. "Alright. Let me try," he relented with a nod. So he temporarily let go of her, then went through a flurry of handsigns as he concentrated. "There, all done," he finally said.

Touka tried to move and finally her body did as she wanted. She sighed and nodded, contented. "Much better," she found. Then she stepped closer and put her arms around him. "Now, where were we?" she smiled mischievously, before she claimed his mouth in a hot and passionate kiss of her own and kissed him breathless like she had always wanted to.

He moaned, clearly surprised. But soon he reciprocated and hugged her tightly, his heartbeat thrumming against her chest, knowing that, had she been alive, hers would have sped up the same.

For a little eternity they both enjoyed kissing each other and relishing in the closeness and mutual feelings, until the Second Hokage needed to return and continue his work. Touka watched him go from the entrance of the dungeons where her new secret lair was now located. She smiled to herself as she bit into an orange. She clearly liked the sweet taste better than lemons.

In the end Touka had had to die and return undead in order to find the perfect happiness she had always dreamt of. And from here on Touka Senju would become a most secret assassin guarding the Hokage and Konohagakure from the shadows, like a ghost from the grave. Amongst ANBU - and those who remembered the early years of this organisation - Irakusa-taichou would remain a legend and, like Mokuren, she was said to be one of the two true founders, even if today's ANBU officially sprang into existence after Tobirama's reformation.

And sometimes, sometimes you would think you glimpsed a shadow wearing a stinging nettle-mask while you perfectly knew ANBU only wore animal-masks...


End file.
